Love and Secrets
by Eryn Wolfe
Summary: Youko Kurama and his second-in-command, Kuronue have been thieving for years with the rest of the men in their bandit group. But what happens when they meet another bandit group filled with women, all with secrets. YoukoXOC, KuronueXOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Here is my first story! I hope you enjoy it. I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or their characters!**

Chapter 1: Mysterious Friends

Kiara sat up on the banister of her hideout. The sun was leaving a wide array of colors all over the Makkai. Her life up until now had an interesting adventure but now as she sits up over her little kingdom, she questions herself. She could feel the energy even before the knock came. Her best friend and right hand woman approached her and smiled.

"Are you going to sit up here and sulk? Or are you going to come and join the rest of us at dinner?" Sienna asked as she sat on the banister beside her. Her black bat wings always seemed to shine in the light. Kiara looked up at her and saw that her famous grin was plastered to her face. It was hard to deny her what she wanted when she had that grin. But her grin didn't fool her. Her purple eyes searched Kiara's green ones, seeking the answer to her unasked questions.

"I'm sorry. I'm not very hungry at the moment. Perhaps I will get something later tonight," she said as she turned back towards the surrounding forests. Kiara could feel Sienna's eyes on her. She wasn't happy with Kiara's answer.

"Alright princess, what's the deal? You've been in this strange mood ever since you got back. What's the deal?" she said as she faced Kiara completely.

"Just thinking. You know me. I'm always thinking," she whispered.

"Then it must be story time because I know you're going to tell me what you're thinking about," she said as she grabbed Kiara by the tail and pulled her into the sanctuary of Kiara's room. The great thing about her room was that it's sound proof. She sat her on the bed and went about locking the doors and drawing the curtains. The little whirlwind that was Sienna was mildly amusing to Kiara. When the wind died down, Sienna was once again sitting beside Kiara.

Kiara smiled at her friend and removed the mask that she and every other female in her band of thieves were required to wear.

"Alright, Princess Kaida. What's wrong? You've been acting weird since you got back," Sienna asked her friend as she removed her own mask.

"I'm just thinking about Spirit World and my sister," Kaida informed.

"Don't waste your time thinking about your pathetic toddler father! He isn't worth your time, not after what he did to you and Nakita," Sienna growled. Kaida smiled up at her friend and nodded. She would never forgive Prince Koenma for what he did to her, for the pain he caused her. In her heart, she knew that it was because of him that she became a thief.

"I'm not really thinking about him. I'm more thinking about how I came to this position in life and what I want to do with it," she said as she lay back against the pillows. Sienna finally understood what her closest friend was talking about and nodded.

"Yoko finally got to you," she smirked. "I knew it was a matter of time before the two of you…fell in love."

Kaida sat bolt up as she looked at her friend. "I do not love Yoko Kurama! Why would I waste my time on a womanizer like him? Besides, he's a friend, that's all," she said but there was small tint to her cheeks. Sienna laughed softly as she placed her mask back on.

"Of course you don't love him. You would just jump his bones and call it a day," she teased as she headed for the door. "Well if you're going to skip dinner then that is on you. I am, however, starving and am not going to pass this up. So sulk all you want about Yoko. You'll eventually do the right thing."

With another laugh, she walked out of the room. Kaida went up to the door and violently locked it. She hated when Sienna could see right through her. Walking over towards her mirror, she looked herself over. Her long brown hair flowed in waves down her back meeting her black tail. Her black ears twitched as she scratched them in thought. She walked towards her desk and pulled out a hidden picture of herself at the age of five, standing by a teenage Koenma and her mother, Niobe. Niobe was a former fighter for Spirit world. She was a brilliant kitsune with unbelievable shape shifting abilities. Kaida and Niobe always looked similar to each other and Kaida had inherited her mother kitsune blood. Kaida placed a finger on her younger self, smiling at how happy the child was; little did the girl know that in four years, her life would turn to hell.

**That's it for now. Chapter 2 should be up relatively soon. Please send reviews. Any ideas are welcomed! Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is Chapter 2. Hope you like it! **

**Note: I do not own YYH or it's characters.  
**

Chapter 2: Childhood

Kaida was five years old when she went to train with Master Genkai and Master Toguro. She was an eager young kit and always seemed to smile at everything. She enjoyed life and didn't have a care in the world. She even considered Toguro and Genkai as second parents. She'd train hard with them every day and became powerful but she didn't care. For four years, she didn't see her parents. She wrote them plenty of letters and such but she was content with her daily life of training. When she was nine, she returned to her home in Spirit World to welcome her newborn sister. She had to stay there for a few weeks while Genkai and Toguro were at the Dark Tournament.

The entire time that she was with her mother,who was pregnant with her sister, she helped to care for her and kept her company. She would even spend time with her father, learning the ropes of Spirit World for when it was her turn to rule.

"But daddy, what if I don't want to rule Spirit World? What if I want to be a fighter, like mommy?" the young Kaida asked her father. Koenma looked up from his stamping and smiled at her. Or at least what she guessed was a smile since his pacifier was in the way.

"Kaida, you are too much like your mother. If it were possible for you to just be a fighter then I'd have you in the training room as we speak but as it is, you are my heir," he explained as he picked up his young daughter and held her in his arms. "If anything should happen to Grandpapa and I, it'll you be your responsibility to rule over Spirit and Living world. I know that you must think that stamping and such isn't much fun but what I do is very important and one day you'll understand that."

Kaida frowned as she looked at the towers of paper that surrounded her father. The door to his office and Jorge the ogre was approaching with yet another stack of paper for the prince. "Ogre, do you think that perhaps one day you'll bring me something aside from paperwork and your complaints?" Koenma asked as a small knot appeared on his forehead.

"My apologies, Koenma sir but this came from your father and he said that you need to get the lead out. You're falling behind," Jorge said as he slowly backed away from Koenma. Kaida giggled softly as she saw her father's temper rise. Always a sure time to run for the hills. Kaida quickly kissed her father on his cheek and went running for the door only to run into Botan.

"Smart and sassy girl here for a report for you, sir. Oh, Kaida. I'm sorry, sweetie, I didn't see you running for the exit," she laughed as she lifted the child from the ground and into her arms. "Your father is one of his moods again, isn't he?"

"Yup! I think poor Jorge is going to get it this time. It's a shame, I really liked him too," Kaida said before giving Botan a hug and making another run for the exit. As the door closed behind her, she could hear the explosion of her father's anger.

"Perhaps would be a wonderful time for me to visit mama. I believe that may be a safer place to stay until Mount Koenma is done blowing smoke," she laughed at her joke. The young princess ran off towards her mother's room only to find that she was not allowed to enter. Ogres blocked her path. As she tried to push herself through the ogres, she felt herself being picked up and carried away. Confusion took the girl as she heard the yells and frantic rushing. She looked down at the person that was carrying her and saw Ayume, one of the pilots of the river Styx.

"Ayume, what is going on? Why can't I go see mama?" she asked.

Ayume smiled at the small child. "You're mother is having your sibling at the moment. You can see her in a little bit," she said as she carried the girl towards the hospital wing. They took a longer way but found Botan and King Enma sitting in the waiting room. Kaida jumped from Ayume's arms and straight to her grandfather's. King Enma easily held his small granddaughter and smiled down at her as her excitement rose.

Hours passed but still they waited. Eventually, Kaida fell asleep listening the booming of her grandfather's heart. When she came to, her eyes fell upon a crying Koenma and Botan. She was no longer in her grandfather's arms but in a chair. Unsure of what had happened, she ran up to Botan.

"Do I have a new sibling?" she asked with a large smile.

"I'm sorry, Kaida. Yes, you have a new sister but…," Botan tried to say before collapsing into a fit of tears.

"What's wrong, Botan?" the small Kaida asked.

"I'm sorry but your mother, she's gone. She didn't survive the delivery," she whispered. Kaida stared at the blue haired pilot. Tears welled in her eyes. Her mother was gone. Kaida ran from the hospital, from Botan's loving arms. Tears poured down her cheeks as the pain built within her. She didn't know what to do. She ran outside of the palace, into the garden that her mother had built in honor of her birth. Tears streamed down her face. Pain and anger held her eyes. She turned her face towards the statue of her and her mother and that was all she could handle. She screamed a scream of pain.

As the child screamed, her power escaped from her body. Tornados, rain, thunder, lightening, everything poured from her. She wrapped herself in her powers as she cried her pain. From the outside, King Enma and Botan called to the child, pleading with her to release her powers. Kaida was unaware that her powers were not just affecting Spirit World but also Demon and Living World as well. There was chaos in the streets. People and demons alike were fleeing for their lives. At the Dark Tournament, the final round between Team Toguro and their opponent had stopped.

King Enma dispatched Botan to retrieve Genkai, hoping that the child's master would be able to calm her. Genkai and Toguro were rushing with their team to leave the stadium. The ground shook beneath them with ocean waves threatening to swallow the island whole. Botan managed to land behind them and ran up to the young woman.

"Genkai, you and Toguro must come with me to Spirit World, immediately!" she cried to the pink haired woman.

"What is going on, Botan? What is happening?" she yelled as she and Toguro climbed aboard Botan's oar.

"Princess Niobe is dead. Kaida…she's in horrible pain. She's lost complete control of her powers and if we don't hurry, she'll destroy all three worlds!" Botan yelled as she flew higher into the clouds toward Spirit World. When they finally arrived, Toguro and Genkai had Botan take them to the opening of the tornado and both jumped into the heart of the wind. Both landed beside the crying child. Genkai ran up to Kaida and pulled her into her arms. Toguro followed and stroked the tear stained face of Kaida.

"It's alright to show your pain, Kaida. It's alright to express your anger, but not like this," Toguro said as he held both Genkai and Kaida to him. Genkai and Toguro continued to calm the child that they held in their arms until all that remained was a sobbing child. Toguro carried the child into the palace and placed her in her room to rest. When they were sure that she was fast asleep, they went to Koenma's office. Koenma had his head on his desk, tears vivid in his eyes as he looked up at the humans before him.

"What is the plan, Koenma?" Genkai asked, although she feared she already knew the answer.

"Take them with you, Genkai. Take Kaida and Nakita to human world. Finish Kaida's training and then send her and Nakita away to live on their own. I don't want them to come back here," he said as he turned his back to the humans. Toguro opened his mouth to object but Genkai stopped him and nodded.

"I'll do as you ask but be warned Koenma, this will come back and bite you in the ass in the worse possible way and it will be Kaida who will do the biting," Genkai warned, her face a bit darker. "And I wouldn't blame her if she did."

Genkai turned and walked towards the hospital wing to pick up the newest princess while Toguro went to collect Kaida. Kaida was still fast asleep when Toguro entered her room. He smiled down at the child, wishing that things were different but he knew that nothing would ever be the same to her again. Picking her up, he walked from her room and met up with Genkai. He glanced down at the new infant and smiled. Her hair was black and her eyes were a soft brown. Apparently the girls had split their parents' traits well. As they headed for the entrance, Jorge and Koenma waited for them. They stopped and looked at the broken toddler. He looked as if he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. Genkai and Toguro nodded to him and walked back towards their mountain in Living World.

**Please review. All is welcome. Chapter 3 will be up soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry I didn't post yesterday. It's actually my goal to post a chapter a day but yesterday I was moving and I didn't get time to post. But here is Chapter 3. Enjoy!**

**Note: I do not own YYH or it's characters!  
**

Chapter 3: Arrival to Demon World

It had been 11 years since Kaida had set foot in Spirit World. All this time, she's been living and training with Genkai and Toguro…well that was until the last tournament and Toguro wished to become a demon. Kaida hasn't seen him since. It broke her heart. He was always a father to her.

Nakita was now 11 and starting her training with Genkai. Kaida had completed her training with Genkai, or so she thought. Genkai's last test was for Kaida to live for three years in Demon World and to learn to survive on her own. She was testing Kaida to make sure that she was able to defend herself from all enemies. When she was informed of the test, Kaida was uneasy. She didn't want to leave her sister but Genkai assured her that she would take care of the young child.

"Enough arguing, Kaida. You'll do as you're told if you want to complete you're training under me. You need to be able to develop the skills to survive on your and to defend yourself and your sister," Genkai lectured.

"So what exactly am I suppose to do in Makkai for three years? Sit and twiddle my thumbs!" Kaida yelled as she paced the room. Kaida was losing her mind but for a different reason that she really didn't feel the need to explain to her master.

"Why are princesses such pains in the ass?" Genkai said as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm sure you'll find some way to entertain yourself. Just do so without getting killed."

"Don't get killed. Gee, why didn't I think of that?" Kaida said sarcastically.

"Kaida, sit your ass down and stopped pacing. I want to talk to you about something," Genkai said as she watched the princess take a seat. "There is something you have to understand while you're in the Makkai. You cannot make it known that you're the princess to Spirit World. You will not be safe. I also want you to understand that I am not abandoning you. In three years, I will by the entrance for you. So don't worry about that. Nakita will be perfectly safe here while I train her. You've got nothing to worry about. You're strong and powerful. You'll survive this test. Now, go pack your things."

Kaida stared at her mentor for several minutes, shocked that she saw right through her. Kaida nodded and walked toward the room that she and her sister shared. Nakita sat on her bed with a long look that spoke of heartbreak.

"What's up, squirt?" Kaida asked in a teasing tone.

Nakita looked up at her sister then looked back down. "So you're really going to leave and go to Demon World…without me?" she asked.

"Not like I have a choice here. This is part of my training and I'm sure that when you're done you're training; Genkai will send you to Demon World as well. If it makes you feel better, I don't really want to go. I'd rather stay here, with you," she said as she sat beside her sister and hugged her. Nakita hugged her sister and nodded, taking solace in the thought that her sister didn't want to leave her. Kaida smiled and went through her things, packing only what she needed for Demon World.

Kaida had finished fairly quickly with her packing and went to where Genkai was waiting. Nakita followed behind Kaida before Genkai waved her away. The sisters hugged each other one last time before Kaida followed Genkai to where there was a hole in the Kakai barrier. This was a well hidden hole that Genkai used to train against demons. Kaida looked at the tunnel that was revealed and the Kakai barrier. A part of her was afraid, she'd never been to the Makkai and she has never been on her own. She was unsure if she really wanted to go to Makkai but a part of her had to prove to herself that she could, that she was strong enough to handle any and everything. She smiled down at Genkai before jumping into the tunnel and through the barrier.

The Makkai was different than she ever thought it would be. Lightening flew above her head in all directions. The air tasted of blood, demon blood. This was not going to be an easy camping trip. When her feet touched the ground, she quickly hid herself up in a tree and tried to figure out how best to hide her identity. That's all she needed was for some demon to realize she's a Spirit World princess and goes after her. She sat against the bark of the tree and contemplated what her next move was. She had no money, no shelter, no food, and no idea what she was going to do.

She looked around the woods that she was in. There were plenty of plants that she could use to make herself a home. She smiled at the idea that things were going to be easier now that she had set a foot in the right direction. Just as she was about to release her energy, she heard a scream. A young bat demon was running away from what looked like a wild boar the size of a house. She watched at the boar caught the girl and stroked her wings.

"Come on, you have to date me now," he said as his drool fell on the girl. Kaida couldn't help but gag at the thought of him.

"As if! I said no and I mean no! Now get off me! You stink!" she shouted as she tried to squeeze out of his hands.

"Now don't be like that. I'm strong and brave and you're all alone. It's not safe for females to be on their own," he said as he held his grip.

"I'd rather be dead and alone then your girlfriend!" she spat back, still trying to free herself. Kaida felt for the girl. She would have said the same thing. She looked around for some way to help and smiled as she heard the crack of lightening. She turned back to the girl and willed her to get out of his clutches. The boar demon was moving close to the girl, his lips puckered for a kiss. When he got closer, the swung her body back and kicked him in the face. He instantly dropped her and held his nose.

"You bitch! I'll get you for this!" he said through tears.

"Oh, go get hit by lightening," she said as she turned her back on him, preparing to take off. Before she was able to take a step, the ground shook and a flash of light exploded behind her followed by the deafening boom of thunder. When she turned back, she couldn't help but chuckle.

"Wow, that doesn't happen every day that a girl gets her wish. But I'm not in the mood for pork," she laughed as the smoke rose from the extra crispy boar.

"Ask and ye shall receive," Kaida said from the trees. She wanted to approach the girl but she was unsure if the girl would be friend or foe.

"Well thank you for your assistance, talking tree. That slime bucket has been asking me for ages to go out with him," she said as she turned towards Kaida's tree.

"I feel for you. His smell almost knocked me out of this tree," she laughed.

"So can I meet my heroine?" the bat girl asked as she flew up to a branch.

"Not sure if that's a good idea," Kaida said as she tried to conceal herself.

"Why not?"

"I don't know if you're friend or foe. I can't risk exposing myself," she said.

"My name is Sienna and I'm not the kind of demon that kills the person who saved her. I promise, besides, you seem interesting and I like interesting," Sienna said as she sat on a branch. Kaida could see her clearly but unsure if she was telling the truth. Deciding that she wasn't going to budge, she stepped down to the branch.

"See, that wasn't so bad. What's your name?" she asked as if talking to a small child.

"Kaida Daioh," she whispered.

"Kaida Daioh? You mean, Kaida Daioh, princess of Spirit World?" Sienna asked, shock clear on her face. Kaida nodded, she was ready to move if Sienna was going to attack.

Sienna could see the girl ready to take off at the first sign of trouble. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you, Kaida," she said as she saw the girl relax. "No wonder you were so nervous about showing yourself. There are plenty of male pigs around here that would kill to have your blood, some women too. You need to find a way to hide yourself. Why are you even here? Why aren't you in some palace?"

"I don't live in Spirit World anymore. My father banished me and my sister when I was nine. The only reason I'm in Demon World is to finish my training under the psychic Genkai. I have to live and survive here for three years. I really don't have a clue at what I'm gonna do," Kaida said as rubbed her eyes in frustration.

Sienna watched the girl and smiled. "You know, I think that fat oaf had a point. It is dangerous for women to travel around Demon World on their own. However, two kickass women are plenty. So, how about it? Want to travel with me? We'll watch each other's back," Sienna offered.

Kaida looked up at the girl, confused at the offer. She sat back and studied the girl. A part of her wanted to run but she knew that she didn't know Demon World, Sienna did. She didn't know the laws, Sienna did. "I guess you have a point. I don't know very much about Demon World," she said as she smiled up at her new friend.

"Great! I can help you will all the boring details about this place but first things first. We need to hide who you are. If anyone catches wind that the Spirit World princess is here then we're gonna have nothing but trouble. So, I suggest a new name for you and we'll have to change your image. You can't shape shift, can you?" she asked as she pulled open the small backpack that was hidden under her wings.

"I'm a kitsune. My sister is the shape shifter," she said as she turned into her fox form.

"Good, that information is not known to demons. That's a plus for us. Here, put this on. We'll both wear one. We'll start a new fashion trend," she smiled as she handed over a black mask. Kaida looked down at the mask in her hands then looked back up at Sienna. Hers was already on and was admiring herself in a small pocket mirror. Kaida chuckled softly and place her own on.

"How's this?" she asked as she looked up.

"Perfect! Now all we need is a new name for you. Hmm…I know! How about Kiara? Just a word name," she suggested.

"Kiara," Kaida whispered. She liked the way it rolled off her tongue. "I like it. It works for me."

"Great, now that that's settled, let's introduce Kiara to the world!" she said as she jumped up and down with a large grin on her face.

**Ok, to make up for not posting yesterday, I will post Chapter 4 today. So expect that to be posted sometime today. PROMISE. Please review. All reviews are welcomed.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's Chapter 4, as promised. I hope you guys are enjoying this cause things are about to go crazy.**

**Note: I do not own YYH or it's characters.  
**

Chapter 4: New Gang in Town

It had been several months since Kaida came to Demon World. Since then, she and Sienna have formed their own thieving band. It didn't take long for them to be compared to Youko Kurama and his gang. She was soon known as Kiara, Queen of Thieves. All the women in her group were highly trained and wore masks like Sienna and herself. Kiara and Sienna found these girls that were in need of help and protection. They were giving that and the means to defend themselves, in return, the girls swore loyalty to Kiara. Kiara had spent a month creating the perfect hideout for them, using the plants as covers. The only thing she didn't realize was that their hideout was but a stone's throw away from another well known bandit group.

Youko had spent the past couple of months listening to the rumors of this Queen of Thieves. A title he always felt would belong to his mate. He didn't like how she was being compared to him and that some even dared to say that she was the better thief. Of course, none of his men would ever say that to him. Tonight, they would raid a heavily guarded castle for the Necklace of the Sun. It wasn't said to have any special qualities but that the stone that lay in the heart of the necklace was the only one of its kind.

"Yomi has finished retrieving all the information for the raid tonight, Youko," Kuronue said as he walked up behind his best friend. The two men looked out over the trees of the forest below for a moment. "But I'm guessing that that doesn't interest you as much as this little sheet of paper with the news rumors of the Queen of Thieves."

Youko looked up at his friend as he held the paper between two fingers. Youko extended his hand for the paper but Kuronue pulled it away from him with a smirk. "Youko, my friend, you've become obsessed with this girl. Normally you wouldn't have given two thoughts to a woman yet here I am hunting any form of a rumor about her for you. What's going through that clever head of yours?" Kuronue asked.

"It would be in your best interest for you to hand over the paper," Youko threatened. He didn't like how he was behaving and what was worse was that Kuronue had to point it out to him that he had a problem. He couldn't help himself; he couldn't believe that there was another apparition out there that was as clever and as strong as he was. Kuronue sensed that his friend was unhappy about having his flaw thrown in his face and handed the paper over to him.

"Her little band of thieves matches our own now. You're on an equal playing field with her. Another rumor says that she's training these girls. Boosting their power levels. Her last two raids were done without ever raising the alarm. Not even we've managed to pull that off, but when you have Yomi in the mix, it's hard to stay unnoticed. Apparently her and her second-in-command, Sienna, attend every raid. Their last one was a high level security one. Apparently Kiara cracked their code in two minutes grabbed the jar of Sacred Tears and vanished into the night," Kuronue informed Youko as he sat up on the balcony.

"I can read all that for myself, thanks," he said a bit harsher than he intended.

"Then I'm sure you'll read that their next raid is tonight and I'm sure you'll notice the location and their goal," he prompted back.

"The Necklace of the Sun?" Youko said in shock. That girl was going after the same prize that he seeks. He couldn't tell if this girl was brilliant or out of her mind. He moved into this inner chamber and began to pace.

"So what's the plan, Youko?" Kuronue asked as he watched his friend. Youko continued to pace, ignoring his friend. He still couldn't get over the shock that this amateur girl was trying to take on his raid. He really wished that he could meet her and show her what it truly means to be a King of Thieves. Youko stopped in his pacing at his last thought and smirked.

"The raid continues as planned. If the girls happened to show up then we'll simple introduce ourselves, take the treasure and head back home. I have no doubt in my mind that she'll follow and tried to take the treasure from us. After all, she has a reputation to uphold, as do I," he said as he grin turned a bit evil.

"And what do you suggest we do with them when the follow us here?" Kuronue questioned.

"What we do with any woman who thinks that she can take us on," he laughed. Kuronue smirked and nodded.

"I heard her right hand woman is a bat demon. I wouldn't mind having a little fun with that," he laughed. "I'll go get the boys pumped for tonight's raid. We'll see you in a half?"

Youko nodded as Kuronue took off. He'd finally get to show this little kit who she was really messing with and she'd soon regret it. Youko took a hidden staircase down towards his green house; here all his own plant creations grew. When they were strong enough, he moved them from the green house towards the outside world, where they would be the guardians of his home. He quickly fed and examined his newest crossbreed of plant, a Venus fly trap and the Okunenju root. This plant was one that he was growing quite fond of.

When his time was up, he met up with his men and took off for the castle that laid in the west. It didn't take them long to get there but dusk was already heavy in the sky. He had his men fan out into two groups: those that entered with him and those on lookout. Before entering the castle, he looked around, hoping to sense the girl that had laid claim to his prize. Finding her not around, they entered the castle. They moved quietly through the halls. Youko could sense that Yomi was willing for a confrontation to occur but none had yet to show. Youko motioned to Kuronue to keep an eye on Yomi as he moved ahead towards the vault.

Youko was a bit concerned by the lack of security and problems that they had encountered. He moved up towards the keypad and began working on it while the others stood guard behind him. It took him a couple of minutes but finally the door swung open to reveal and empty room. Youko stared at the room, unsure of what he was doing. When he walked in, he noticed a piece of paper on the ground, addressed to him.

_Dear Youko Kurama,_

_Allow me to introduce myself, I am Kiara. I'm afraid that tonight was just not your night. You see, we arrived earlier, dealt with all the guards and took off with the Necklace of the Sun. I hope you don't mind if I keep it in my possession for awhile. It'll go great with my eyes. And please enjoy your easy exit. Most of the men here were weak and easily swayed by womanly wilds. I hope that you are not so easily swayed._

_I'm guessing that at this moment, you are quite furious. After all, I'm sure you had high hopes of catching me in the act and therefore proving who the better thief is. Normally, I wouldn't have given a damn about your little groups of bandits but my informants have told me that you've been sneaking around, digging up as much information on me as you can. Even believe rumors, hoping that they will be true. This is a warning. If you promise to stop your information hunt, then I promise to no longer interfere with your raids. I await your answer. _

_Affectionately yours (or so you wish),_

_Kiara._

Youko gave a loud growl as he crumpled the note. She was playing with him. This was just a game to her. He stormed out of the vault, vowing vengeance against Kiara. He held the crumpled note as he joined his team and started to walk out without a care in the world.

"Youko, what's going on? Did you get the necklace?" Kuronue asked as he caught up to his friend. Youko didn't say anything as he handed him the note. Kuronue stopped and read the note, he eyes screaming in disbelief. "The beat us? How cant that be?"

"I don't know but I already have my answer for that false queen," Youko growled as they walk out of the castle. As they met up with the lookout group, they found them all knocked out on the ground. None were hurt but would be out for some time.

"Who did this?" Kuronue asked as he looked around.

"We did," spoke the Kitsune that stood on a branch above them. She looked down at the men with cold dark eyes. In her hands was the Necklace of the Sun. Youko wanted to jump of their and show her who was in charge of the thieving world but knew that she wasn't alone. She jumped down in front of them, followed by a female bat demon. So this was Kiara and Sienna.

"The Queen of Thieves," Youko greeted with a slight bow.

Kiara smirked at Youko and gave a slight curtsy. "The King of Thieves. A pleasure it is to meet you. I hope that you aren't too angry at me," she said with a smile.

"Of course not. I was out foxed by a vixen why would that anger me?" he asked sarcastically.

"Men and their egos," she said without a care. "Youko, I only stayed behind to get your answer, not to start a war. Personally, I could care less about your band of boys. All I care about is your promise to stop digging up information about me," she said as she disbanded with the pleasantries and went straight to business. Youko looked the vixen over and smirked.

"Now why would I do that? You're obviously more interesting than I initially believed. After all, you must have one hell of a secret if you're fighting this hard to keep it hidden," he said as he watched some of the color leave her face. _Jackpot! _He thought to himself.

She quickly regained her composure and smirked. "A secret like mine is awfully hard to find. You will have a very difficult time discovering it," she commented as she spun the necklace around her finger.

"I'm guessing that your true identity is your secret, why else would all of your girls be wearing masks?" he challenged. The fire in her green eyes came to life at his challenged as she met his smirk.

"I'm sorry; I thought the mask would have been easy to understand. After all, why would I want to go out shopping and having all these males chase after me wanting to mate with me? I mean, my reputation is now as great as yours, perhaps even better. I sure hope that that isn't making you jealous, oh king," she bit back. Youko growled at her and took a step forward, only to stop immediately.

"I wouldn't get too close to her, fox boy. Not unless you value this piece of flesh," Sienna threatened as she held a blade right between Youko's legs. Youko gave her a smoldering look but backed off.

"Good boy," she mumbled as she took her position behind Kiara. Youko watched her carefully and smirked when he noticed that she had her eyes more on Kuronue then himself.

"So you want my promise to never look up information about you, in return you won't bother with any of our raids again?" Youko clarified.

"Exactly and to sweeten the deal, I'll give you the necklace, free of charge. No thank you required," she smiled up at him.

"Keep the necklace. I've found a treasure that is more interesting and harder to capture. I promise you that I will find out who you truly are and when I do, you will come to me. And I always make good on my promises," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest and smiled at her.

"Is it war you want?" she questioned.

"Of course not. War is too bloody and personally I don't want to lose any of my men, as I'm sure you don't want to lose any of your women, but how about a friendly competition between our bandit groups. We'll see who really is the King or Queen of thieves. And who knows, perhaps in the end, you and I will become very close friends," he purred to her. Kiara glared up at him and turned her back.

"A competition? Fine but you will never know my secret and I will never come to you as a 'close friend'. I can promise you that," she said as she took off into the night. Her girls soon followed. Youko walked up towards the area she disappeared and found the Necklace of the Sun hanging on a branch. He smiled up as he took it down.

"What the hell just happened? Have you lost your mind?" Kuronue growled at his friend.

"Perhaps but even you have to admit, that things have just become more interesting for us," Youko said as he walked over towards Yomi.

"Personally Youko, I think that whole conversation was thought out through your balls and not your head," Kuronue said as he followed.

Youko laughed and shrugged. "Perhaps but I saw you eyeing the bat demon. So perhaps I wasn't the only one. But, let the games begin," he said before taking back off for the hideout.

**Ok, that's it for today. Chapter 5 will be up soon. Please review. Any ideas or criticisms are welcomed. Thanks! Bye! ^_^**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's Chapter 5. Enjoy!**

**Note: I do not own YYH or its characters.**

Chapter 5: Let the Games Begin

Kiara walked into her room, fuming. She couldn't believe that he had the nerve to flirt with her, to challenge her like that.

"Stupid kitsune! He's such an ass! How dare he challenge me and then decide he's gonna flirt with me!" she shouted before falling back against her bed. "I HATE HIM!"

Sienna followed her fuming friend with an amused look. She closed behind her as her friend threw a fit on her bed. "This is mildly amusing, Kaida. The princess of Spirit World throwing a temper tantrum over a guy," she said before fully cracking up.

"I'm glad you're so easily amused," Kaida said with a glare.

"Oh come on, Kaida. You had it all planned out and it all went so well, until Youko out foxed you and hit the right buttons to get what he wanted. How else does he get all those women to sleep with him?" she reasoned as she sat beside her friend.

"He can push as many buttons as he wants, I will not bed that stupid fox for as long as I live. That pig will not win this war," she said with darkened eyes.

Sienna looked up at her friend and shook her head with a smile. "War? I thought you didn't want a war?" she asked. Kaida went to defend herself but Sienna interrupted. "It doesn't matter. What does matter was how you were looking at Youko. You can't deny that you enjoyed what you saw."

Kaida blushed softly before shaking her head. "I'll give you that he's attractive but there are more to a person then their looks. Besides, I saw the eye sex you were having with Kuronue," Kaida teased, taking pleasure in the blush on Sienna's face.

"I won't deny it. I haven't seen a decent looking bat demon in ages and Kuronue is a fine specimen. Beside, I'm not ashamed of sleeping with men. I mean, it's not like I'm a virgin or anything," she shrugged. Kaida diverted her eyes from Sienna and looked towards the window. "Kaida, you're not a virgin are you?"

Kaida blushed but didn't look at her friend. "So what if I am? There's nothing wrong with that!" she shouted in embarrassment. Sienna stared at her friend in disbelief before she started to laugh uncontrollably. "Forget this!"

Kaida glared at her friend as Sienna tried to apologize through her fit of giggles but the words never seemed to surface. Kaida jump up onto her banister and then down into the forest below. She was too angry to be with her friend and she didn't want to discuss her virginity any further. She took off into a sprint, hoping a run would cool her temper. She didn't know how long she ran for but the wind in her hair was what she needed.

**Somewhere, not too far away…**

Kuronue found Youko in his hidden green house. He was the only one to actually know of its location. He used to tease Youko about how special he was but he wouldn't do it tonight. The fox demon had a lot on his mind from their earlier encounter. As he opened the door, he saw Youko start to move the Okunenju Trap. This plant seemed to be his new favorite. "I see the little seedling has grown up. Is it ready for the outside world at last?" he asked.

Youko looked up and nodded. "I checked earlier and noticed that it was able to feed itself earlier so I figure that I'd plant it outside tonight," he said as he turned back towards the plant.

"Planting? Tonight? You'd rather plant than bang some female the boys brought for you? You must have something on your mind. Care to tell?" Kuronue asked.

"Kuronue, you're too observant for your own good," Youko commented as he secured the plant.

"You're thinking about Kiara, aren't you?" he smirked.

Youko shrugged as he lifted the plant. "Mayhap. I noticed there was something in her eyes. A fire…she won't be easy like what we normally have."

"You're planning on sleeping with her then? You certainly changed your tune about her," he laughed.

"I won't deny that having that tail in my bed would be quite…pleasurable but where is the fun if they willing waltz towards the pillows. The fun is in the chase and when I find out her real identity, I will get what I want from her," he said with a smirk.

"And what is that, exactly?"

Youko looked up at him and thought about his question. What did he want from Kiara? He didn't have an answer and the thoughts that swarmed in his head threatened to betray him if he stayed with his friend. Ignoring his question, he carried his new plant towards the outside world. As he walked through the halls, he could have sworn he heard his friend's mocking laughter behind him. Youko wouldn't put it past Kuronue to get a chuckle at his expense. The bat demon always seemed laid back, as if there wasn't a care in the world. Secretly, Youko wish he had that but with his position as the King of Thieves, he didn't dare let his guard down.

He pasted his men as they found pleasure in women then claimed from different towns. Spoils of thieving, and normally Youko would enjoy in the tradition but not tonight. As he approached his parameter of deadly plants that acted as guard dogs, he found a perfect spot for his newest creation. He quickly planted the young plant then gave it his energy and watched it grow. As the plant towered over him, he stroked it lovingly.

"Make sure no unwelcomed guess come to pay a visit. If they aren't with us, then eat them," he said with a wicked smile. Youko turned back towards the hideout then to the open woods. He didn't really want to face what was going on within his own home but perhaps tonight, he'd relax in his private springs, a place to ease his tension and work on strategies to get what he wanted. Assured that the plant knew its new job, he took off towards his spring.

It didn't take him long to reach there but he was surprised to find that it was already occupied, by a fuming vixen. Youko sat up in a tree right above her as he watched her try to relax in the hot water. He could tell that she had stripped all her clothing and was trying very hard to unwind. He could feel his own body stir at the idea of being so closer to her. The image of her warm and soft body against his hard one made him ache. His imagination started to wander as he pictured her body close to his. His lips fighting for dominance over hers. His image soon disappeared as he hear her shout.

"Stupid Sienna! Stupid Youko! Stupid Demon World!" she shouted as she splashed at the water. _Stupid me? What did I do? Besides challenge her…and invade her privacy…and vow to discover her true identity. Hmm…I guess I may have pissed her off._ He thought to himself as he watched her. She let her head fall back and Youko was sure he was caught only to find out that her eyes were closed and she was sinking into the hot water. It didn't take long for her body to be completely submerged. He waited for a minute or two for her to resurface but she remained under water. Panic started to fill him as he searched for her. _Panic? Why the hell am I panicking? This female doesn't mean anything to me yet I'm worried about if she drowned. Perhaps Kuronue is right. Maybe I am obsessed. Oh well, too late._ He thought as he jumped into the water and pulled her up to the surface.

Kiara sputtered and kicked as she felt herself being dragged to the surface and towards solid ground. She could see who grabbed her but she knew that he was strong and that his hands held her in a way that caused her to blush. It didn't take long for her back to reach the softness of the grass at the edge of the spring; it was there that she saw the one who disturbed her. She glared up at the golden eyes that looked down at her.

"What the hell were you doing? You could have drowned," he yelled at her. She couldn't tell but for a second, she thought she heard fear in his voice.

"I wasn't drowning, I was cooling my head! Now get the hell off of me before I rip your head off!" she threatened. She wasn't really angry at him; after all, it was a nice gesture. She was embarrassed that this demon still had his hands on her naked flesh and was thoroughly inspecting her body for damages. She quickly pushed him away and pulled her clothing close to her body.

Youko felt himself being pushed away and smiled up at her. He had gotten a good eye full of her body and he was not at all disappointed. His smile grew as he noticed her blush on her cheeks. "Cooling your head? You do realize that this is a hot spring, right? Nothing cool about it," he teased as he started to remove his own outfit. He watched from the corner of his eye as her blush grew darker and she turned her back and quickly dressed.

"I hope you aren't expecting me to sleep with you after you supposedly saved my life," she said with her back to him. Youko turned towards and laughed.

"I'm drying my clothing, they're soaked. Why is your back turned? Are you shy? Have you ever seen a man naked before?" he asked as he hung up his clothing and approached her from behind. He felt her body tense up as his chest touched her back. He was holding nothing back from her and yet she held everything from him. She had her mask on in the water and never bothered to take it off. He couldn't understand that.

"I've seen plenty of naked men before," she said although Youko could tell that she was lying. "It's just that your body isn't one I'm interesting in looking at. Beside, we're at war, remember? We're not supposed to be ogling each other's bodies."

"War? I don't believe either one of us agreed to war. I believe it was a competition to see who was deserving of the title of King/Queen of Thieves. Besides, I have no intention of going to war with you. I wouldn't want to damage your body. It is every lovely, after all," he said as he grew a rose seed into a full rosebud and handed it to her. "You're milky white skin should be showered with red rose petals. You'd be stunning to look at."

Kiara took the rose and turned to look up at the man before her. She held the rose in one hand and place her other on his chest. Her hand was soft, something a fighter would never have. She stood up on her toes and leaned in closer to Youko. He smiled as his arm went around her waist and pulled her up to him. Her lips gently went up towards his ear.

"Just so you know that you will never find out who I truly and that you will never be able to charm me into your bed. But it was a good try," she whispered before pushing him into the water. Youko hovered in the water completely shocked that she managed to out sex him. He quickly surfaced and found her leaning over and smiling at him. She was mere inches from his face and all he did was freeze.

"I thank you for the rose. It is quite beautiful. One of my favorites, perhaps. But it is time for me to return to my girls and I believe that you are in desperate need of a cold shower. I have much to plan for tomorrow and I'm sure you'll want to get digging up my info," she said as she turned around, her tail gently brushing against his face. She got a couple feet away from him and turned back and winked at him. "Don't worry, Youko. We'll see each other, real soon. And I promise, it won't be a meeting that you'll soon forget."

With that she took off into the night. Youko stayed frozen as his arms held him to the ground. She teased him. He thought he was in control of the sexual tension but in a matter of seconds, she turned it around on him. He growled to the open area but it wasn't one in anger but in anticipation.  
"Cock tease," he muttered before laughing. "You seem to make every encounter something to remember. But you're wrong, you may have won this round but the next one is mine."

He laughed at his promise and shook his head. That vixen knew what she was doing, he'd give her that. He'd have to up his game if he was going to compete with her.

"If anyone can out fox a vixen, it's me. Kiara, let's see what you got!" he challenged to thin air before getting out and grabbing his clothing and heading back to the hideout in better spirits then when he left.

**Things are getting interesting with the foxes but what about between Kuronue and Sienna? And what is Kiara planning? How will Youko get her back? Find out next time on Love and Secrets Chapter 6! **

**Please review. All are welcomed.  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry about the delay. I live in the south and we got hit with a bad storm that killed the power. Was not happy. Anyway, here's Chapter 6! I hope you enjoy it!**

**Note: I do not own YYH or it's Characters.  
**

Chapter 6: A Sheep in Fox's Clothing

It had been several weeks since Youko and Kiara had their encounter at the spring. Neither had had any contact since then. Youko became determined after the first week to find out Kiara's true identity when he discovered that the details were near impossible to find. If he wasn't spending time on his plants or raiding, then he was looking over the information that was gathered for him by his men. Youko started to fall out of his normal habits and routines. So much so that Kuronue dared to question his sanity.

"I know I'm only going to get growled out for butting in but I don't have a choice," the bat demon stated as he placed another envelope with the current rumors of Kiara in front of Youko. Youko ignored Kuronue and opened the envelope.

"Youko, you got to hear me out. You're changing, man. And the men are starting to notice. Some of them have started to talk that you've lost your touch, that this girl has control over you. There is even talk of over powering you and one of them taking over. If you're not careful, you could have a mutiny on your hands," Kuronue persisted. When he got no response from his friend, he ripped the paper from him and glared down. Youko eyes snapped up and glared back at Kuronue. "Will you listen now that you don't have the paper?"

"I heard what you said, Kuronue. I know all about what is going on with the men. I even know who is the one leading the mutiny and I will deal with him soon enough. Happy?" he growled as he tried for the paper but Kuronue moved away.

"Nope. It's been a week since our last raid and Yomi has found a pretty decent treasure. Two rings, one called the Eye of Life and the other the Eye of Death. Apparently these two are never separated and terrible things happen when they are. But if someone wears both of the rings then they have the power over life and death. I even heard that Spirit World has placed out a handsome reward to any who bring that prince the rings," Kuronue said as he placed the plans in front of Youko. "We need you're approval before we go ahead with this. And you will be going ahead with this. You know, to keep the men's faith in you."

"Since when do you give me orders?" Youko challenged as he looked over the plans.

"Since you became love sick fox who has become obsessed with his future mate," Kuronue teased. Youko's shot up at Kuronue in shock. Normally, no one could move the fox's emotions but somehow Kuronue knew just what to say.

"She's not my mate. I don't ever plan to settle. You know that," he said as he went back to the plans.

"Well, in my opinion, it's the only way you'll find out who she truly is cause you're not getting anywhere with this rumor crap," Kuronue said as he place the paper back to Youko. "I actually had a thought about that. What if you actually took the time to get to know her? You know, why don't you ask her on a date? Ask her casual things that she wouldn't mind telling you. Gain her trust."

"That would be deceptive and she'd see right through it. She knows my goal," Youko said as he watched his friend move about the room.

"You're a thief. You're supposed to be deceptive," he said before waving his hand. "That's not the point. If this was a normal circumstance, you would date her to find out more about her not just go around her back and digging the info up."

"Well this isn't a normal circumstance and you and I both know that she'd never willingly give me any form of info," he said as he stood up and handed the plans to Kuronue. "Give these to the men. We'll leave in an hour."

Kuronue nodded and did mocking salute before going out the door. Youko watched the door for some time before going back to the paper about Kiara. There wasn't much there that he didn't already know except one thing. He read the line several times, unsure of how to interrupt it.

_Kiara is not of this world and will not be staying long._

Youko shrugged. _Kuronue must have picked this one up from an idiot. She's clearly demon. My nose can smell it on her. Everything about her screams demon…and woman._ Youko groaned at that thought. He hadn't had a woman for some time. Perhaps on their way back from the raid he'd pick up one to enjoy for the evening. Youko nodded to himself. He was being his normal self. He'd prove his traitor wrong if it was the last thing he did.

**An hour later…**

Kiara smirked up at the moon. Kiara had been planning with her council about their raid for that evening. The girls moved quickly in the woods. Some preparing the bon fire, others were cooking and mixing drinks, and some even getting their instruments tuned.

"Do you really think this will work? A party?" Sienna asked her friend with a skeptical look.

"Oh come on Sienna. Where's your sense of fun? Besides, you know that old saying. It hasn't failed in hundreds of years. Who says it will tonight?" Kiara smiled as she walked over to the drinks. She pulled from her satchel a small container filled with a fine powder and began mixing them in the drinks. "Odorless, tasteless, and instantly dissolves in liquids."

Sienna walked up beside her friend and whispered in her ear. "Is this a Human world thing?"

"Human world has similar methods but this won't leave them with any nasty side effects. Besides, you should know that I'm cleverer then any human in Human world. This will work Sienna so put on a big grin and get ready to dance and party. You know your target so be prepared," Kiara smiled as she carefully marked the spiked drinks for the girls to see. In the distance she could hear the distinct sounds of cheerful men. _Sounds like they were successful. Wonderful. Part A complete. Now time for Part B!_ Kiara smirked as she signaled for the girls to strike up the band.

"Lady Kiara, I spotted Yomi, Youko, and Kuronue not to far from us. Youko is the one you want," Kana, Kiara's third-in-command, informed.

"Excellent! Alright girls! You know the plan! Let's have some fun and don't be shy! Be as loud as you want! We need them to want to have fun with us!" Kiara shouted before dancing around the fire with Sienna to the music.

Youko and his men ran swiftly through the forest. His men still pumped from their successful raid. Youko couldn't help but smirk himself. This was what he needed, a nice relaxing raid to get his mind off of his many dead ends in his search. At one point in their run, he could have sworn he heard music. He stopped on a branch and lifted his ear to the wind. Kuronue and Yomi stopped beside him and waited to see what he was looking for. It didn't take but a second for them to realize that they heard women and music, not that far from them.

"What do you say men? Think we've earned a reward for our hard work?" Youko asked as he turned towards his men. The all shouted in agreement as they took off toward the music playing. It didn't take them long to find Kiara and her band of thieves partying and dancing, as if celebrating some great accomplishment. Youko approached slowly, unsure if this was a trap or not.

Kiara stopped dancing for a moment and waved over towards Youko. "Come on Youko. Come join us. I'm sure we can all be friends for one night!" she yelled over the music before moving back to the beat of the music. The men all looked towards Youko, in hopes that he'd give the ok.

"It seems harmless enough. I mean the girls are drinking. How dangerous can they be if they're drunk?" Kuronue reasoned but he wasn't really looking at his friend. He was looking at the bat demon that was spinning in circles with Kiara.

Youko laughed as he saw his friend and shook his head. "I'm out numbered. Let's join them but please keep your wits about you," he warned as his men ran towards the girls. Most of them paired of quickly and started to dance to the music. Several girls quickly moved to give the men drinks. Youko walked up beside Kiara and motioned that they move somewhere they could talk. She nodded and followed.

When Youko was sure they were a good enough distance away that they didn't need to shout at each other, he turned on Kiara with an accusing look. "Whatever you're planning, won't work," he warned.

Kiara gave him a confused look before glaring at him. "Excuse me for wanting to celebrate my best friend's birthday. If you have such issues with us for celebrating then leave. No one is forcing you stay. I just thought I'd extend the invite out," she growled at him. Youko eyed her carefully, believing her words.

"I apologize. I just thought that…"

"You just thought that I was trying to trap you in something or kill you or whatever goes through that fox head of yours. Sorry but not today. What you see is really what is going on here. Just a birthday party for Sienna. Nothing more," she said calmly. "Now, I hope that you're accusations are done. Would you like to drink and party with us, in celebration of Sienna or are you going to be a boring stick in the mud and hide in the shadows?"

Youko smirked at Kiara as she tried to take a stab at his ego but shook his head. "Only if you'll grant me with a dance," he said.

Kiara watched him carefully and nodded. "I'll behave if you promise too. I have been planning this for some time and I'd really like for it not to be ruined," she said before turning back towards the party. She walked over and poured herself a glass and quickly down it. "Would you like a drink Youko?"

"Please," he said as he stood close behind her. He could feel her tense at his presence but soon relaxed.

"Would like something light or strong? We have some girls here who have very little tolerance for alcohol," she said as she pointed to herself.

Youko smirked and shook his head. "I would never have guessed that you're a woman who can't hold her liquor," he teased.

"I never built any tolerance for the stuff," she shrugged as she poured herself a glass from the unlabeled container.

"Well I'm a man that can handle anything so why not a strong one," he said as he moved closer to prove that he could handle anything, even her.

"Deflate that ego, fox. You're not going to get that lucky tonight," she said as she poured him a glass of the spiked drink. When she handed it to him, she turned her back and went over to sit with Sienna who was chatting very lively with Kuronue. Youko watched as she walked away before looking down at the drink. He sniffed the liquid but all he smelt was alcohol. He moved his finger with the liquid but all that came out was the liquid itself. Finally he slipped his tongue into the cup and tasted nothing but the burning taste of alcohol. Kiara was true about what she said.

He down the drink entirely before walking over to Kiara. "You promised me a dance, oh queen," he said with a slight bow. Kiara blushed as she watched him bow and extend his hand towards her. Before she had a chance to answer, she was pushed into his arms but an unsuspecting bat demon.

Youko quickly held the girl as she was thrusted into his arms by her best friend. "Go have fun, you two! It's my birthday, therefore I am royalty. I command you both to have fun and dance with each other. Put your stupid war aside for tonight!" she laughed as she finished her drink.

Kiara looked up at Youko and smiled. "You heard the princess. Let's hit the floor!" she said as she grabbed his hand and moved towards the roaring fire and started to dance. The band was blaring a very sultry sounding song. It didn't take long for Sienna and Kuronue to join them. Sienna and Kiara winked at each other before the two of them came closer together and started to air grind against each other. The girls kept this up for a bit before being pulled back by their previous partner. Youko held Kiara close as his hips joined hers in her erotic dance.

Kiara smirked up at Youko before dancing around him; her hands were all over him. She never once broke contact as their bodies bumped each other to the sounds of the music. Youko shuddered under her touch. His skin seemed to be on fire as she moved around him, touching him, bringing his body to life. When their hips were joined together to the music, he gave a growl, telling her what his really wanted to do to her. She smirked and spun in his arms. She never stopped moving and neither did the rest of the forest.

_Spinning forests? What? Why am I moving so slowly? What is going on?_ His mind shouted as he struggled to stay on his feet. He looked around and found most of his men were already out cold and the rest were on their way to the same fate. They were drugged. Kiara drugged them all. He lost his balance and fell into her arms.

"I'm sorry Youko but this is to see who the better thief is, right? Well, let's just say that this round goes to me. Don't worry. None of you will die. You'll wake up, well rested and more or less pissed off at me. And I'm sure you'll get over it in time. We'll move your bodies some place safe so that no one decides to eat your or just plain kill you," she said as she dragged the semi-conscience kitsune to the small cave that the girls had found earlier that day. Youko tried to fight back but his arms were dead weight.

"You…you…"he tried to say to her but the words wouldn't form. She laid him gently down on the ground and quickly went for the prized that lay in his robe, the rings of life and death.

"These are too dangerous in your hands. So I'll just take them off you. Hope you don't mind. Now you go to sleep like a good little boy and I'll see you at the next raid," she said as she kissed his cheek. The last thing that Youko felt before drifting to sleep was her warm lips against his cheek.

Kiara and the rest of the girls returned to their hide out after cleaning up after the party. Kiara went quickly to her room and locked the door. Sure that no one could bother her, she opened a secret passage way to the room that held her greatest treasures. This room was important because of the wealth but because all the items in the room held a power of some kind. Most had destructive powers while some gave life and happiness. Kiara took out the rings that she took from Youko and placed them in a box. "Until the day you return to Spirit World," she whispered before heading back to her room.

When she finally reached her room, she heard a knock at her door. Kana was a bit out of breath, when Kiara opened the door, and had a look of fear in her eyes. "All girls accounted for except for Sienna. She hasn't returned," she said, panicked. Kiara gave a slightly shocked looked heading towards her balcony, searching the air for her friend.

**Currently in Spirit World…**

Koenma sat at his desk and looked at the picture of the young thief.

"Why do you look so familiar?" he asked the photo.

"My lord, Koenma?" his spirit detective called.

"Ah, Kuroko. Come look at this photo," Koenma said as he showed her the thief Kiara.

"She looks like a beautiful fox demon. What she do?" Kuroko asked.

"She's a deadly thief. However, my intelligence tells me that she's been gather items of great and horrible powers. I don't know what she's planning but some of the most power items I've hidden in Human World. I need you to keep an eye out for this demon. If you should come across her, I want you to try to capture her. If you can't then kill her," he said with darkened eyes.

"I understand. Do you think she'll come to Human World?" Kuroko asked.

"I hope and pray that she is merely thieving for fun and not planning anything. With the items she has, she could do some serious damage," the toddler said with concern.

"Are you alright sir?" the spirit detective asked.

"Yes, it's just that I can't shake the feeling that I've seen her before," he said as he stared intently at that young fox demon.

"I'm sure it'll come to you in time. Until then, I will keep my eyes open for her," she said with a bow before leaving the toddler to continue his contemplation. He stared at the picture for about two more hours before Botan appeared in his office. Her eyes screamed of apology.

"What is it Botan?" Koenma asked. Botan approached his desk and placed his letters and a small package in front of him.

"I'm sorry, sir, but the girls still refuse to accept any form of communication with you. Kaida wouldn't even see me. Nakita handed them back to me and told me to stop wasting my time. They weren't interested in anything you had to say," she said as she looked up at him with sad eyes.

Koenma looked down at the letters and the package and signed. "Place them in their rooms. Perhaps next year they'll be more open," he said as he went back to stamping.

**And there you have it! If you're keeping tally, that one point Kiara, Youko: Zero. Will Youko get his revenge? And what happened to Sienna? How come she didn't follow back? And poor Koenma, what ever will become of the toddler prince? All this and more and the next chapter of Love and Secrets!**

**Please review. Feedback helps me a lot when I get stuck so please don't hesitate to say what is on your mind! Bye! ^_^  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy it!**

**Note: I do not own YYH or it's characters.  
**

Chapter 7: Friend or Foe?

Kiara sat up all night as she waited for any news of Sienna. _If by first light she still hasn't returned then I'll have to go to Youko. He'll either have her or he'll know where to find her._ She thought as she paced her balcony. Sienna and Kiara had never been apart since the first day they met and she wasn't about to make this a common thing. Just as the first rays of light spilled over the tree tops, a knock came to Kiara's door. Kiara ran towards the wooden door and ripped them open. There Sienna stood, a little worse for wear. Kiara pulled the bat demon into her room and hugged her tightly.

"What happened to you? Are you alright? Where were you? Why…?" she asked before stopping in her rant of question. She took a quick sniff of Sienna and backed off. She couldn't believe what she smelt.

"Kuronue didn't drink the spiked drinks. He was never placed in the cave with the rest of the men," she said softly as she sat on the arm chair. "I took him away from the party before he saw Youko crash. We…uh…well something happened last night."

Kiara sat on her bed and encouraged her friend to speak. "Well, Kuronue had a special present for me. I thought it was me leading him away from the party but it was really him. After all the talking and getting know each other, we kinda had sex in the woods," she said with a slight tint to her cheeks.

"So you got the bat demon, just like you wanted?" Kiara teased and Sienna nodded. "Ok, I can understand that. Just wish you would have told me so that I didn't stay up all night thinking I'd have to torture Youko and his boys for information about you."

Sienna laughed but her heart was really in it. "There's more that you need to know about," she whispered.

"Sure, hun. What's wrong?" Kiara asked as she walked over and kneeled down in front of her friend.

Sienna pulled down her collar and showed something that looked like a bat wing mark. _A mark? Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no…_Kiara screamed in her mind. "You're mates?" she asked barely above a whisper.

"Yes but I never meant for it to get that far! We sort of lost control and things got wild. I'm so sorry. You must hate me! I swear I didn't mean to. I woke up this morning, felt the mark, and split back home. I promise I didn't tell him anything. Please believe me!" she begged, tears rolling down her eyes. Kiara watched the girl before smiling.

"I'm not mad at you. You're my best friend. We'll figure this out. The question is, do you want to be his mate?" Kiara said as she held the demon.

"I don't know. I mean, he's a really good guy and he's nice but I can't say that I love him or anything," she reasoned. "But I'm not saying that that might not be a future possibility."

"We'll take it one day at a time. If, in the end, you want to be with him then that I is what I want for you. If not, then we'll protect you. It's just that simple," she said as she hugged her friend. Sienna, who barely cried, held Kiara closed and allowed her tears to drench her shirt.

Kiara held her close and kissed her head as a mother would do to an upset child. "Why don't you take a bath and get some rest? You look exhausted. I'll have one of the girls bring you some food later," she said as she helped the girl to her room. Sienna nodded and heading into her room. Kiara waited a bit outside her room before turning towards the meeting room. Everything thing was about to become complicated.

**Several hours earlier, in a cave not that far…**

Youko eyes blinked several times before he realized that he wasn't in his room. He slowly sat up and saw his men sleeping soundly all over the floor. Youko stared at them for several minutes before remembering what had happened the night before. He quickly stuck his hand into his robe and found his prize stolen. He placed his hand on his cheek as he tried to remember who stole it because she also left a kiss. He thought for several moments before finally realizing who she was. In all his anger, he screamed at the top of his lungs and released his energy into the surrounding plants, making them violent.

Youko stood up and walked to the entrance of the cave and looked around furry clear on his face. They weren't that far from the hideout and that was good enough for him. He went back into the cave to make sure he still had all his men. He did a quick once over only to discover that Kuronue was missing.

"Kuronue?" he asked as the men stirred some more.

"Behind you," the bat demon said his voice a bit darker than usual.

"Where were you? You weren't here," Youko asked as he turned towards his friend, disturbed by the look on his face.

"I was with Sienna last night. Let's head back to the hideout. You and I need to discuss something," he said, leaving no room for discussion, he took off.

"Men, back to the hideout," Youko ordered as he followed Kuronue. He could tell that his friend was far from happy. Something had happened last night, something other than what he and the men suffered.

**Back with the girls…**

Kiara sat in her room, her mind buzzing with things that had to be done and the problem with Sienna. She knew what Sienna was gonna say when she woke. For the sake of Kiara and the girls, she was going to deny herself a mate. Sienna was selfless. It was one of the qualities that Kiara adored in her best friend but today, Kiara wasn't going to let her. She didn't know how she was going to stop her but she knew she had to.

She slowly began to pace her room ash her mind planned and attempted scenarios that would occur. Finally realizing what she had to do, she groaned and took off for the forest. She was going to talk to Youko. For the sake of her best friend, she was going to face an enraged fox, something that every vixen knows to avoid. Just outside her home, she looked up and groaned again. This was going to be a horrible encounter. She could only hope that he wouldn't feel the need to strangle her for her little trick.

**In the den of Youko Kurama…**

Youko sat down as he watched Kuronue pace. The bat demon had a lot on his mind and it wasn't anything that was easy for him to say.

"Alright, so what happened to you last night? Sienna drug you like the girls did to us?" he asked.

"No, I drank the light drink. Perhaps that was code to the girls for 'Do Not Drink! Men Only'. Did Kiara really get the drop on you?" he asked sidetracked.

"Yeah and I don't need the reminder. She's gonna get what she deserves the next time I see her," Youko growled as his fist slammed against the furniture. He was humiliated and out foxed. She would not get away unpunished for this. "So what happened to you?"

"I…Sienna and I…ugh…we mated, Youko," Kuronue confessed a bit defeated as he fell onto the couch.

Youko stared at him a bit confused. "You mean the two of you had sex," he corrected.

"No, I mean we mated," he said as he moved his hair to show her mark. It was smaller than the one he left on her but it was still visible and detailed. "We lost control and one thing after another happened and when I woke up, she was gone."

Youko couldn't cover the shock that was on his face. His best friend mated a woman and one he didn't even know. This was going to cause problems. Huge ones. Youko let his head fall back as the wheels in his mind began to turn. "Perhaps this isn't a bad thing. You've said that you wanted to have her. Now you've got her…permanently. Was the sex good?" he asked.

"Amazing. No complaints on my side but explain to me how this isn't a bad thing?" he asked confused.

"Well think about it. You're mated to Kiara's second-in-command and to keep the mark strong, the two of you will have to be together, often. You now have access to Kiara's hideout," Youko smirked.

Kuronue glared at Youko. "Nice try Youko, but do you honestly think that Sienna will willingly betray Kiara that quickly? For all I know, she could be in Kiara's room, cutting the mark out of her skin," he said.

"You'd know if she did. From what I heard, if anyone touches your mark then you'll feel it and vice versa. It's said to be one of the benefits of having a mate. You'll know if an unwanted male is touching her and then you can go in and kick its ass," Youko said but not knowing if it was true. "So the question is what do you want?"

Kuronue looked up at Youko before diverting his eyes. "It's weird but right now all I want is her. Then again, it could be this stupid mark thing. Honestly, I've never lost control like that with other females but last night, I couldn't stop myself," he confessed.

"I guess you and Sienna will have to work it out. I'm an expert on thieving, not relationships," Youko said.

"Yeah, no kidding. You're having so much trouble with Kiara, it's hilarious," he laughed before trying to hide his amusement. Youko stood up and glared at Kuronue.

"I'll leave you to figure out what to do with your mate. I'm gonna check on the new seedling. Try to keep out of trouble until I get back," he mocked before leaving.

**In the Forest of Makkai…**

Kiara wasn't that far from her hideout when she finally picked up on Youko's scent. At first she was panicked, thinking that he'd finally found her home. Only the thing is that the scent was leading away from the hideout and towards and underground cavern. She could see that there were heavy amounts of foliage blocking her path and knew that she lose a lot of energy if she tried to make them move. Deciding that her best bet was to hack her way towards Youko's hideout, she pushed on through.

The plants seemed to get denser as she pushed through. On some occasion, she had to use her energy to fend off an attacking plant. Youko knew what he was doing when it came to home defenses; she'd give him that one. She continued to move through the plants only to come across one that she didn't recognize. She stood in front of it for some time, just studying it. She gently took a step closer to it only fall back and hit her head. Her vision blurred a bit as she felt herself being lifted into the air. The plant she had been admiring had decided that she'd make and excellent lunch.

Kiara fought the plant, even tried to influence it with her energy but got nothing. The roots seemed to wrap tighter as she struggled. She knew that she was bleeding from the back her head but now she could hear the sounds of her ribs cracking from the plant hug.

"LET GO!" she yelled as she continued to struggle. She fought for her life and for consciousness as she wiggled her body. She gasped for breath, her vision going dark. She couldn't believe that it was going to end in the stomach of a stupid plant. She could hear Genkai's criticism about her being killed by a plant. As the world went dark, she faintly heard someone calling out her name. She wanted to turn to the voice but the comforting blackness over came her and she was gone.

Youko had heard the plant from a distance and the screams of its prey. He was quite proud of his creation but when he arrived to see the plant's meal, he panicked and quickly went about releasing Kiara from her almost death. The plant pouted but obeyed Youko and gently let her slid from its roots and into his arms. Youko moved Kiara back from the plant and began to inspect her. She was bleeding behind her head and had several ribs broken.

"We're even," he said as he took out several seeds and began to grow them, taking what he needed to help her healing. He quickly mixed the ingredients and poured them down her throat. He waited a few seconds, unsure if he was too late or not but soon her eyes blinked open and he heaved a sigh of relief.

"You're causing me a lot of trouble, you know that?" he said as he smiled down at her. She gave him a confused look before realizing that she was in his arms.

"You're smiling? Why the hell are you smiling? And you can let me go now," she said as she tried to break free only to cringe. "OW! That's it! That plant is compost."

"You wouldn't kill my guard dog would you?" he asked with a smirk as he kept her close. "Don't move too much you're not quite done healing."

"Guard dog? That thing is yours?" she shouted before cringing again.

"Yes, I planted several to keep unwanted guess from entering my home. Speaking of which, you're a long way from home and you're alone," he smirked as he moved himself closer. Kiara's held fear in her eyes and she did the first thing that came to mind and kneed him right between the legs. Youko groaned and rolled off her, holding his injured appendage. "That was unnecessary!"

Kiara scrambled away, ignoring the pain. "Well, don't stick your face in mine without my permission. Beside, I have a reason for coming here. I was looking for you," she said as blush formed on her cheeks.

"Last night's humiliation wasn't enough for you? You had to take my ball from me as well?" he shouted at her.

"I didn't come here to injure. I came to talk but you advanced on me so I defended. Don't worry so much about your balls. They're useless anyway," she said as she sat on a rock by a nearby tree.

"And why is that?"

"Oh the drug I put in all your drinks makes you sterile. Sorry, I have quite perfected that drug," she said with a smirk.

Youko sat right up with a shock looked before turning it to a glare. "You did what?" he yelled as he tried to get to her.

"I think I've done the world a public service," she laughed. Youko crawled towards her, unable to walk yet. Just as he was about to reach her, he stopped to breathe through the pain. Kiara felt bad and move closer to him, handing him a seed known for pain relief. "Here take this, for the pain. I was only kidding, Youko. Yeesh, I was trying to lighten the mood."

Youko glared at her but took the seed. He recognized it and had used it on several occasions. It didn't take long for the effects to start before sitting up. "You have a really bad sense of humor, Kiara," he grumbled. He heard her giggle softly and couldn't help but smirk. "You came here to talk. Talk about what?"

"We need to talk about Kuronue and Sienna," she said, getting right to business. Youko agreed with her but smirked as he stood up.

"Ok, how about a deal? I promise to sit and listen to what you have to say about the new mates and I'll forget about the drugging, the stealing, and the attempt to castrate me, if you'll join me for lunch," he said as he offered his hand to her. Kiara's jaw fell down with a distinct pop before her wits returned.

"Quick question, are you bi-polar?" she asked.

"No," he said.

"Do you promise to behave yourself?" she asked.

"I do," he said as he waited for her to take his hand. She looked at for another minute and nodded and took his hand to stand up before letting go.

"Know a good place for lunch?" she asked. He nodded and grabbed her hand again as he took off into the forest with her.

**Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please review. Feedback helps me a lot and is greatly appreciated. More interesting things to come so keep an eye out! THANKS!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the delay, I was on vacation at Disney and was slightly distracted. ^_^ But here's chapter 8! Enjoy!**

**Note: I do not own YYH or it's characters!  
**

Chapter 8: An Understanding

Kiara walked behind Youko a bit, unsure if she could truly trust him. For all she knew, he could be leading her into a trap and that would be the end. She watched him carefully as he moved through the forest. Kiara felt the need to chide herself for how easily she agreed to follow Youko. She normally would have turned him down and gone her own way but her own sense of self-preservation seemed to have gone on vacation without her permission.

She kept her eyes to the ground but at one point she looked up at the kitsune before her. She couldn't help but to admire the way the man moved. He was tall and muscular but not in an obnoxious way. He was a man who knew how to carry himself and that he shouldn't be taken lightly. She admired the way his silver mane and tail moved in the wind. His scent swarmed around her. He smelt like roses and the forest. Overall, the kitsune wasn't unpleasant to look at, in fact, she quite enjoy the view. And she couldn't deny that her eyes seemed locked on a certain portion of his anatomy causing a slight blush to creep onto her cheeks.

Youko could sense that the young vixen behind him was struggling with her current predicament. It was obvious that she really wanted to turn tail and run but they needed to discuss this little problem with their second-in-commands. He turned back to look at her and saw that her eyes were to the ground but they were on him as well. He couldn't help but to smirk at himself. _So she isn't some cruel tease of a vixen. I can work with that._ He thought to himself as he slowed down to match his pace with hers.

She felt Youko slow down enough that he was now walking in sync with her. She lifted her head, pretending that she wasn't ogling his rear end and gave him a confused look when she saw his smirk. "What are you smirking at?" she asked a bit annoyed.

"Oh nothing in particular, I'm just enjoying our little walk together. Am I not allowed to enjoy a walk with a beautiful vixen?" he asked as he moved his body a bit closer.

"You promised to behaved," she reminded him.

"I am behaving," he said with a smirk. "Besides, I'm not sure it's me who needs to behave. Don't think that I didn't see you eyeing my tail."

Kiara gave him a surprised look and felt her face warm up. "I…I…I wasn't. You were walking in front of me so I was looking at your back," she said as she tried to hide the color on her face.

"Yeah, see I don't really believe that. You're blushing and that normally is a dead giveaway. I don't mind though. To be honest, I'm always checking you out," he said without any shame. Kiara glared at him but kept walking.

"So are we close to where you want lunch?" she asked.

Youko chuckled softly and shook his head. "We're not that far from the place. No need to be impatient. So tell me how you and Sienna met?" he asked as he walked beside her.

Kiara gave him a curious look before shrugging. "I saved her from boar demon who wanted to mate with her. He was really disgusting and I felt bad for her so I helped her out. Since then she and I have been together. What about you and Kuronue?" she asked.

"Kuronue? He and I have been together for a long time now. In fact, Kuronue and I met when we both went to steal the same item. We fought over it then we had to escape together. Since then we've been stealing and enjoying life," he said as he walked beside her.

"So you're just best friends?" she asked with true interest.

"I guess we are. To be honest, I trust him about everyone else," he shrugged.

"Even me?" she asked with a smirk.

"You I can trust to pull a fast one and to keep me on my toes. You are a vixen after all," he teased as he poked her side. He could help but chuckle at the little squeal she gave at the surprise attack. "And I can trust that you're also ticklish."

Kiara glared at him as she held her sides. "Well if you ever get to know me then you'll know that I'm actually a very trustworthy person," she said as she kept an eye on his hand.

He laughed as he watched how carefully she kept an eye on his hand. _She must be extremely ticklish. A valuable weapon in my favor._ He thought. "I'm sure you are, if you'd actually let me get to know you," he said as he pushed aside a branch as they left the forest.

"Ask questions and I'll give you answers. It's up to you if you want to believe them," she shrugged as she looked down at the small village below.

"Who are you, really?" he asked as he walked into a familiar village. This was the village of a clan of kitsunes that he trusted. They trusted Youko to keep them safe from any who would harm them.

"I won't answer that one. You should know that," she said as she watched a little kitsune girl running up to her dad, showing him how well she drew a picture of her family. Her father hugged her tightly and cooed at her at her brilliant skills. Kiara felt tears sting at her eyes as she watched the tender moment.

Youko turned back to Kiara when he noticed that she was no longer following him. Instead, she was looking at the exchange between father and daughter. He slowly approached her and saw the little water droplets that clung to her long lashes. He didn't understand but he couldn't stand to see that pain in her eyes. Wishing to take her pain away, he smiled and took her hand. "You know they don't deliver the food to the middle of the street. Come on," he said as he held her hand tightly and gently tugged her towards a small inn.

Kiara quickly turned her head and wiped at her eyes. She didn't want Youko to see her tears. As he pulled her into the inn, she was surprised to see how homely it was. The atmosphere was warm and comfortable. "This place is wonderful, so peaceful," commented as they were seated.

Youko nodded a thanks to the young server who he had seen grown up. She gave him a teasing wink, meaning that he'd have to explain something later but he didn't mind. "I come here often. This place helps me to think about things. So you won't answer the identity question so how about family? Do you have any family?" he asked as he sipped his water.

Kiara looked up from the menu and thought about how to word her answer. "Well I have a little sister and I have a father but I really don't want anything to do with him so that's a mute point," she said before sipping her own water.

"What do you mean? Why don't you want anything to do with your father? Is your sister living with you?" he asked wanting to know everything. When the waitress returned, he gave his order and watch as she did the same.

Kiara looked down at her water as the waitress left them. She really didn't want to tell him but she could tell that genuinely wanted to know. "I used to be very close with my mother and father, before my sister was born. My mother was an amazing fighter and I wanted to be just like her. My father had a desk job and kept telling me that I'd take over for him one day. And to a five-year-old who wanted to be like her mother, the idea of sitting at job didn't exactly sit well. I may have drove them a bit nuts," she said with a sneaky smile.

"I can understand that feeling," he teased before urging her to continue.

Kiara laughed softly. "Yes, well, their solution to my wild behavior was to send me to my master and her boyfriend. She was a tough woman and her boyfriend was a hard man. I learned how to behave very quickly. When I was nine, they went to fight in the Dark Tournament and I was sent back to my parents. My mother was pregnant with my sister at the time and was very ill so she had to stay on bed rest. I used to stay with her every day. I would show her all my moves and what powers I had mastered. I'd make her jewelry and get well cards. If she needed anything I'd ran and get it for her. She was very important to me," she laughed as she remembers how hard she worked to please her mother.

"The day my sister was born, I waited alongside my father, grandfather and their assistant. I soon fell asleep in my grandfather's arms. When I woke up, my mother had passed away in childbirth. I was so destroyed by what happened that I lost control of my powers. My grandfather sent my father's assistant to get my master to come and calm me. They eventually got a hold of her and she was able to calm me enough to cause me to sleep. While I slept, my father banned my sister and I from our homelands, never to return. Since then, I've lived with my master until I went out on my own. My sister stays with her though so I know she's safe," she said in an almost whisper.

Truth was that she missed her father. Before her mother's death, he was her white knight. She loved him dearly. She remembered when she would run up to him and give him a picture she drew of him yelling at the ogres. He proudly framed it and placed it on his desk, a reminder to laugh at himself every now and then. Kiara hung her head as the pleasant memory seemed to fade. Youko could see now why tears appeared early. He wanted to find her father and wring his neck for how he treated his daughter but knew that it would hurt her.

"So why are you a thief?" he asked as a quick change of subject.

She quickly lifted her head and thought about why she did what she did and shrugged. "It seemed like a fun thing to do. And beside it's sort of like training my mind daily," she laughed. Youko couldn't help but laugh along with her. His chosen profession was just a game to her. "But enough about me, we're suppose to talk about Kuronue and Sienna."

Youko nodded as they got back to the real reason they were out to lunch. "So what do you suggest? I assume that Sienna has talked to you about this. I know what Kuronue wants but not what she wants," he said as his food was placed before him.

"She's willing to give this whole mate thing a shot but she doesn't want to leave out hideout," she offered as she started on her own food.

"Kuronue also wants to give it a shot and like Sienna, he doesn't want to move in with all of the women. I'm sure you're aware that they need to be physically intimate with each other if the mark is to last. Well at least for the first year," he said as he watched the blush form on her cheeks.

"Yes I am aware of that. So I have an idea on that neither is forced to live where they do not wish," she said.

"Really? Just started our conversation and you already have a plan. Ok then, what is your idea?" he asked amused.

"A halfway house," she offered.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked confused.

"What I mean is, we build a relatively large building that the two can live in that is directly half the distance between our two homes. That way the two can do their bonding as well as come back to us during the day. Also, the building would have another purpose. It would be neutral area that our two groups could be and there would be no stealing, trickery, or anything that would normally do," she said with a smirk.

Youko sat back in his chair and thought the idea over. In a way, this halfway house benefitted him in ways that he never comprehended. And in a way, this would help out with the new mates. "When you say 'we', do you mean you and I or our groups together?" he asked.

"You and I. I have power over weather and nature. You have yours over plants. I think together, you and I could make a fine house," she said before realizing what her meaning could be taken as. "Not like that, I mean for Kuronue and Sienna."

Youko chuckled softly at her slip of tongue. _A fine house together? I'm sure she and I could definitely make a great house together. _He thought as he imagined his home with her and their small kits running around playing tag. He quickly shook his head at the idea that passed through his head. He never once thought about that kind of life or any woman that he deemed worthy enough to bring his children into the world, yet here he was imaging Kiara's abdomen swollen with pregnancy of his doing.

"So basically, you're telling me that you're going to make me slave away and build our friends' a house," he said as he rose and paid the bill.

Kiara quickly placed enough for a tip and nodded. "I did say that I'd help," she said back with an annoyed tone. They slowly walked out of the inn and back the way they came. It was later in the afternoon then they had realized and felt the needed to return back to their hideouts.

"What's in it for me?" Youko said as he turned back to her.

"I beg your pardon?" she near yelled as she rounded on him. "How about the fact that you did a good deed for your best friend?"

"Yeah, there's that but what will you give me for using my energy on such a large project?" he said as he turned towards her with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You promised to behave, Youko," she growled her reminder.

"I am keeping it," he shrugged. "I mean, I haven't taken you to an empty room and pound the hell out of you, have I?"

Kiara looked up at him a bit shocked before glaring. "Womanizing bastard," she growled.

"For the record, since you started this little competition, I have not been with a woman. I've had several weeks of pent up sexual frustration that need levitating. And if you're volunteering then say so and we'll head into the woods for a nice comfy place to have fun, but seeing as I made a promise to be on my best behavior then I guess I will have to turn you down. So don't call me a womanizing bastard when you don't know anything," he growled darkly at her and took a step closer. He enjoyed the idea of her taking a step back in fear.

Kiara glared as she took her step back. She shouldn't let this sorry excuse for a kitsune speak to her in such a way. Gaining her courage, she regained her lost step. Their bodies were touch as they glared into each other's eyes, neither willing to back down. Youko stared down at her and smirked. She was a vixen who was not to be taken lightly. He gently bent over so that he could whisper in her ear.

"All joking aside, I'm sorry for what your father did to you and your sister. You deserve better than that. I can only hope that your hatred of your father has not corrupted your view of men. Not all of us abandon our loved ones because of our pain. A real man can handle both, rely on the loved one to help get through it," he whispered before backing up a bit to let his lips to gently brush against her slightly parted ones. He could tell that he caught her off guard but to his own shock, she responded to his kiss by returning it. Her lips were warm and soft but he could tell of the inexperience they had had in the past.

Kiara couldn't believe that she was actually kissing Youko, but his words to her caught her off guard. They were gentle and understanding, even a bit caring. He was a hard man, she could tell that from their continual confrontations but there was a gentler side to him, a side that she could get use to. She felt his hand gently cup her cheek as he kissed her. It was so soft and gentle and a part of her didn't want it to end. When Youko pulled back, he was mere inches from his face and had a genuine smile.

"I'll take that as payment," he said as he took a step back from her.

Kiara gave him a strange look before glaring at him. "Womanizing bastard. Taking kisses as payments," she grumbled as he cheeks heated up in embarrassment.

"The kiss was not the payment," he said as he rolled his eyes and walked off toward the hideout. "It was the smile in your eyes."

Kiara stood there shocked before quickly following him. She didn't know what to say but followed him as they found their way to the spot that was halfway from each other's hideout. Youko looked around the area and groaned. It was going to take a lot of energy and time to get the place ready for Kuronue and Sienna. His best friend better appreciate what he's doing.

Kiara and Youko worked hard into the night, getting the building ready and placing defenses around it. When they finished their work, they stepped back and admired their job. Kiara felt a weird feeling as she looked at the home that she and Youko had built. They did have a few squabbles about how different rooms should look and such but other than that, they had basically the same idea. She looked back at the house then towards him. Different feelings started to grow within her. What once wants a feeling of general dislike of the fox beside her was turning into something more. Something that she never felt before.

Youko felt someone's eyes on him and turned to see that Kiara was staring at him. She quickly turned from him as a blush crept up on her cheeks at being caught staring. Youko smiled and placed his hand on hers. "This turned out pretty well. You have a good eye for detail," he said as he encouraged her to look up at him.

She shrugged and smiled but kept her eyes on the house. "Why else do you think that I'm the better thief," she teased.

Youko gave her a shocked look before poking her in the side. "That has yet to be determined!" he challenged with a smirk.

Kiara squealed as she tried to get away from him. "DON'T DO THAT!" she yelped.

Youko merely laughed at her and continued his assault until she finally broke free of his clutches and glared up at him. "Kitsune bastard," she grumbled as she rubbed her sore side.

"At least it's not 'womanizing bastard'. I must be warming up to you," he teased before walking over to her and with his hands up in peace. She kept her eyes on them as he moved closer. "So, when shall we bring the newly mated here?"

Kiara thought about that for a moment. "How about tomorrow at noon?" she asked.

"Works for me. Until then, vixen," he said as he bowed and slowly backed away into the darkened forest.

Kiara stared after him before groaning and running back to her home. _I better not be falling for that fox! Imagine what my father would say! HA! Maybe I should! But still…_she thought as she stopped to look back in the direction of Youko's hideout. _But still, would actually falling in love with Youko be a bad thing?_ She finished her thought before heading back to her home.

**Is this a step in the right direction for Youko and Kiara or is this going to blow up disastrously? How will Kuronue and Sienna react to their new home? All this and more on the next installment of Love and Secrets!**

**Please review. Any and all criticisms and ideas are welcomed.  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's the next installment! Enjoy!**

**Note: I do not own YYH or it's characters.  
**

Chapter 9: Mates?

Sienna cuddled close to her pillow. A part of her wanted to run and fine Kuronue, needing to feel his touch. This mark was getting to her. Kiara had left pretty early in the day and Sienna had no idea where she went. She had spent most of the day lying in her bed fighting urges of all kinds. Several girls stopped by with plates of food and every time they showed up, she asked where Kiara was but none of them gave her an answer. All she knew was that she left the hideout and hadn't returned.

A part of her feared that she was injured or captured and her identity revealed. She didn't know what to do. After several hours of resting she began to pace. Different scenarios raced through her head at what could have happened to her friend. _Is this how she felt? When I didn't come home?_ She thought to herself. Sienna hadn't realized that she and Kiara were never apart. The two of them were the best of friends, no, they were sisters. They were always there for each other and nothing would ever change that. Even when Kiara had to become Kaida again in two years, they would still be close.

Unable to hold back this urge to find her friend, she headed out from her room and started to wander the hideout. She had to be there. Sienna was beginning to fear herself and these urges and all she wanted right now was to feel Kiara's comfort of her. She moved quicker through the hideout, panic clear on her face. Several of the girls that lived their stared at her as she ran through the halls. As she turned a corner she ran into the very person she was looking for.

"Sienna? What's wrong? Are you ok?" Kiara asked as she held her shaking friend. Kiara looked up and saw some of the girls watching with concern as her second-in-command freaked out. Kiara quickly moved Sienna and herself into her room and sat her down on her bed. "Ok, take a deep breath."

"I'm sorry, I was afraid and I've been feeling off all day and you weren't here. I asked all the girls where you were and none of them could tell me. Where were you?" she asked with accusing eyes.

"I was with Youko," Kiara whispered with a slight blush.

"You…were with…Youko?" she asked shocked.

"Not in that way, I went to have a meeting with him. He and I think that we may have found a way to help you and Kuronue out with this mate thing," she said as she tried to switch topics.

"Sure was a long meeting," she grumbled. "What is this idea that you and Youko have come up with?"

Kiara rolled her eyes at her friend but smiled at her. "You'll find out tomorrow at noon," she said softly. "Until then, you need to relax and not let this mark get to you. I'm sure a night without Kuronue will not drive you completely nuts, ok?"

"Easier said than done. I've had nonstop urges all day to go find Kuronue. I actually miss him and I don't even know him," Sienna said as threw her head back on Kiara's pillow. Kiara watched her friend with slight amusement. She knew that Sienna would never admit to it but perhaps her little escapade with Kuronue might be the best thing that happened to her.

"I have a solution to your man urges," Kiara said as she smiled at her friend.

"And that would be?" she grumbled as she turned over and buried her face into the pillow.

Kiara laughed before jumping on her bed next to the bad demon. "SLUMBER PARTY!" she screamed causing the bat demon to jump off in surprise. Sienna fell on her butt and looked up at the overexcited kitsune.

"Who are you and what have you done with Kaida?" she asked in slight fear.

"I'll dish about my good mood, if you agree to a slumber party, going with me tomorrow at noon, and to stop worrying about being a mate, deal?" she said as she stopped bouncing.

"That's a lot to give up on my part just to find out about your day," Sienna said as she eyed her friend.

"It'll be worth it!" Kiara said as she went towards the door to get food and drinks for them.

"Alright, I'll bite," Sienna gave in as she headed towards her room for her things.

**Among the King of Thieves…**

Kuronue sat in Youko's den and waited. The fox had been gone most of the day and without Kuronue's permission! He was in the middle of a crisis and the fox decides that he's going to take a lovely stroll in the forest. _Just wait until he gets back. I'll skin him alive for abandoning me!_ Kuronue grumbled in his head. He was having the day from hell. He couldn't count the number of times he the slightest touch against his neck, as if it was Sienna caressing him. When he placed his back to touch hers, he discovered the indent of the mark. He had no idea how long this need to be with Sienna was going to last but he wasn't sure he was going to be able to control himself for another day.

An imagine flashed before his mind's eye. Sienna. He could still remember the touch of her skin, the sultry sound of her voice as she teased him. Even alone in Youko's room he could feel her, smell her, hear her. Kuronue groaned Mating was hell. He couldn't figure out why anyone would participate in such rituals. Kuronue looked up when he heard the door open and a bit of light crossed over his face.

"Where the hell have you been?" he growled as Youko walked in.

"Since when do you take sanctuary in my room?" Youko asked back with amusement. His friend was suffering.

Kuronue growled at him before shrugging. "Your room doesn't have any windows. The light has been bugging me today. Now answer my question!" he shot at him as he stood up from the chair he was in.

"And what question was that?" Youko asked as he smirked and moved closer to his frustrated friend.

"YOUKO!" he yelled, ready to jump his friend.

"Calm down, Kuronue. I had a date and I just couldn't miss it," he said as he took a seat.

"A date? A date? You went on a date when my life is going to hell? What kind of friend are you?" Kuronue roared. He was beyond furious now.

Youko couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't every day that he had the privilege to torment Kuronue. It normally was the other way around. "Relax; I had a date with Kiara. She came all the way into our territory to talk to me about her second-in-command. Your mate, if you've forgotten," he prodded and enjoyed the flash of annoyance in Kuronue's eyes. "Anyway, the date was not intentional. It was your idea; after all, so I figured we could discuss this little mating situation and get to know each other at the same time. And you'll be thanking me tomorrow."

"I'll be thanking you tomorrow? What is that suppose to mean?" Kuronue asked, a bit distracted by the information before snapping back. "Wait, you actually got a date with Kiara? How'd that go over?"

"We're meeting up with Sienna and Kiara tomorrow at noon and that is all I'm telling you," Youko said as he watched the bat demon carefully. "As for my date, I learned something very valuable about the young vixen."

Kuronue nodded in understand that Youko was a demon of his word and that was the end of the subject but he gave him a curious look as he saw Youko's eyes darken a bit. "What was it?"

"Her father hurt her, in the second worst way that a father can hurt a daughter," he said as he vowed to find the demon responsible for causing the pain in her eyes. "He banned her and infant sister from their homeland because their mother died from childbirth."

"Well that would explain why she doesn't trust men. Her dad really banned them? I mean, she should be grateful that her father was in her life, what with all the demons that just fuck and run. Then again, I guess having a dad that loves you dearly one second then turning his back on you the next is a real bitch," Kuronue reasoned. "BUT…at least you got her to open up! That's a point in your corner!"

Youko smirked and nodded. "I even got a kiss," he said as he leaned back into the chair.

"Careful. With kisses come mating and you don't want to be in the hell that I'm in now," Kuronue warned.

"You're only miserable because you're not around her. Everyone knows that mating requires you to be with your mate for a year. After that, the urges and needs relax and you're able to be away from them for a small period of time. You'll feel better when you see Sienna tomorrow. So I suggest you go and get some rest. You have a big day tomorrow," Youko said as he headed towards his bed, undressing.

"Gotcha, well since you feel the need to undress and I don't feel the need to see you like that, I'm going to head toward the baths then bed. I'll see you later, Youko," Kuronue said as he walked towards the door. "And thanks."

Youko turned and watched Kuronue leave. His tone as he thanked him startled him. He had never heard Kuronue sound like that to anyone. When he was finally alone, Youko lay back in his bed and placed his arm over his eyes. As soon as his sight was block, Kiara appeared before him, this mysterious vixen that held so much pain in her small body, constantly fighting for her life and lives of her friends. Her strength, courage, and veracity were something to admire.

To top it all off, she was gorgeous. Her forest green eyes that seemed to look deep into his soul and seem to calm him in a way to no other has ever done before. Her long brown hair was so soft, almost like silk ribbons caressing his hands. He enjoyed watching as her ears expressed her eyes and her tail swished around in the wind. He could only imagine them as soft as she was. He pictured her lips and how warm and soft they felt against this own. How he longed to feel them again.

Youko laid the dark, continually imagining Kiara until realization finally hit him. He sat straight up in his bed and hung his head. Kuronue's words ringing in his head. Kuronue had no idea how right he was. He was falling in love with Kiara. What was he going to do?

Kiara groaned as the sunlight crept into her room. She glared at the light and tried to roll over, only to bump into another body.

"Ugh, Kaida, why'd you hit me? It's too early to fight," Sienna grumbled as she snuggled deeper into her pillow.

Kaida ignored Sienna and walked towards the balcony and looked out towards the forest. Kaida could tell it was midmorning from where the sun hovered in the sky. They had stayed up for a good portion of the night gossiping and Kaida's date with Youko. Sienna was thrilled by the news, Kaida was disturbed by it. Kaida shook her head and turned back to Sienna and gave her and evil smirk. She walked over to her bathroom and poured a glass of cold water. She slowly tipped toed towards Sienna and pour the cold liquid on her friend. Sienna screamed as she jumped into the air and shivered.

"YOU BRAT! HOW DARE YOU WAKE ME UP LIKE THAT? WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THAT?" Sienna growled as she glared at her friend. Kaida was rolling on the floor laughing at the soaked bat demon. Sienna growled again before grabbing a pillow and smacking the Spirit World princess as hard as she could.

"Ow…that hurt," Kaida laughed as she sheltered her head.

"You earned it. Now if you excuse me, I'm in need of a hot shower. I hope that is enough time for you to grow up," she said as she headed for the door.

"Better shake a leg. We need to get out of here pretty soon," Kaida said as she sat up and watched her friend storm out of her room. Kaida just playfully smirked before getting changed herself. The two demons quickly departed from the hide out and started out into the forest.

"So where are we going?" Sienna asked as she looked around.

"It's a surprise. We'll be there shortly and I'll have to blindfold you just before we arrive," Kiara said as he led the way.

"Why a blindfold? That seems a little overboard," Sienna said as she eyed her friend.

"That may be but…"she said as she wrapped the blindfold around Sienna eyes. "But, you'll appreciate the value of our hard work if you blindly walk into it."

Sienna grumbled as Kiara held her shoulders and pushed her forward through the trees. "If I hit a tree, Kiara, then I'm gonna kick your ass," she threatened. She hoped that Kiara would take her words in carefully but only had a chuckle as a response.

"Don't worry, all the trees and roots have moved out of our way. You won't get injured and if you do then it's your own fault," Kiara said as she moved out towards the newly cleared land. She couldn't help but to suppress a laugh as she saw Youko carrying a very angry bat demon. "Wow, Youko. I didn't know you were into bondage."

"Yes, well, he wouldn't come unless I told him what was going on and that defeated the purpose," Youko shrugged as he placed Kuronue down at his feet.

"So you blinded, gagged and bonded him? I think you may have gone a little over board on this and I won't save you when you untie him. He'll be slightly justified," she laughed as she led her friend closer to Kuronue. She could sense the tension in Sienna as she got closer to Kuronue. _So this is what it's like to be mated to someone._ Kiara thought before smiling up at Youko. "Shall we free them?"

Youko nodded and called off the vines that held the bat demon. Kuronue growled as he was finally free and ran up to the kitsune and held him by the collar. "What the hell was that stunt for?" he growled.

"Kuronue?" Sienna asked as she lowered her blindfold. Kuronue whipped around and saw Sienna standing next to a grinning Kiara.

"Sienna? I…um…" Kuronue stumbled as he released Youko. A bit embarrassed that his new mate found him in such a state. Both Youko and Kiara chuckled at their awkward behavior.

"Well, if you're done punishing Youko, not that I'm not enjoying the show, he and I have something we want to give the two of you," Kiara said as she turned Sienna around to face what seemed like a medium mansion. "SURPRISE!"

Kuronue jumped at the sudden bubbly-ness of Kiara's voice as he looked over the building. It was clear that it was created from plants and the earth around. He can only guess that Youko and Kiara had worked together in building the home all day yesterday. Kuronue turned to Youko and saw a strange smile on him.

"Kiara came up with the idea of a halfway house. So you and Sienna can live here and come back to your respected hideouts in the morning. Sort of like a 9-5 thing, right Kiara?" he asked as he looked past Kuronue.

"Yup! Not only is it your new home and don't take it like we're kicking you out. We're just making it so you don't have to choose where to live. Anyway, this place is also a neutral zone. Youko and I promised that we and our groups will not fight, steal, or misbehave in anyway. We'll be wonderful little house guests," Kiara said with a large smile.

Kuronue looked over at Youko, shock clearly written on his face but when he looked over at Youko, that kitsune shook his head at the vixen. _So this is what happened yesterday. They did this to help Sienna and I out. I think they're in need of some payment._ Kuronue thought as he walked over to Sienna. "Shall we take a look inside?" he asked as he offered her his hand.

Sienna smiled up at Kuronue and nodded. She was fighting tears at the gift that Kiara and Youko had given them. She knew that many demons wouldn't do this for friends. She took Kuronue's hand and felt all her urges and nerves disappear, as if this was how it was meant to be. She followed him as he walked them into the front of their new home. Sienna looked back and saw Youko and Kiara standing beside each other, as if they were the mates admiring their new home. _The King of Thieves and the Princess of Spirit World…that has a nice ring to it. I wonder how Koenma would react to having a wanted criminal as a son-in-law. Now there's a way for Kaida to get back at her father._ Sienna thought before chuckling to herself.

"What's so funny?" Kuronue asked as they stopped in the main hall and admired the wood work around them.

"Youko and Kiara. Thing there's something there?" she said indicated with her head to the kitsune pair standing outside.

Kuronue looked back at his oldest friend and his rival and smirked. "Think we should repay them for our lovely new home?" he said as he led her up the stairs to the master bedroom.

Their friend had placed a large bed in the center of the room. Sienna couldn't resist the urge to lie against its silken sheets. Kuronue smiled down at her as he joined her. "These definitely came from Youko. He's always had a love for silk sheets," he commented as he watched her roll around the bed.

"Let's hope that he didn't use them otherwise I'm going to need a shower and a blow torch," she laughed before bouncing around and going to the balcony. She knew that Kiara built this. Kiara like balconies and found them to be a fantastic escape route. "This is Kiara's contribution. She always perched on hers back at the hideout."

Kuronue laughed as he walked beside his mate. "So, are we going to repay them?" he asked.

"Do you have a plan?" she asked as she looked up at him before down at the kitsunes that were now arguing. She couldn't help but to chuckle at them. If they ever became a mated pair, their home would never be a quiet one. "I mean, we could educate them on how to play nicely together."

Kuronue laughed and shook his head. "You know what I think? I think that their little adventure yesterday was what was needed to help them in the right direction," he hinted as he watched the quarreling foxes. "I'll bet you five gold pieces he makes an attack before her."

"Throw in breakfast in bed for the next month and you have yourself a deal. But I bet that it'll be her who makes the first move," she asked as she shook hands with Kuronue and watched with great pleasure as their argument got more heated. "And what direction are they heading in? Besides the one that will eventually lead to one of them buried six feet under."

"I think that they're falling in love with each other. Kiara did tell you what she and Youko did yesterday, right?" he asked before losing his grin and handing over five pieces to Sienna. Kiara had landed a roundhouse kick to Youko's head and sent him into a nearby tree.

"Oh I heard about the kiss, alright. Apparently she actually allowed herself to open up to him and tell him a bit about her life," she said as she grinned and accepted her prize. "Why thank you, dear. I love bacon, so please make sure there is plenty of it in the mornings."

Kuronue groaned but laughed. "So I have an idea about to keep pushing them in that direction, but let's discuss it when they aren't here otherwise they'll be annoyed at us," he said as he moved closer and placed his lips on hers. "You know, I think that our mating might actually be a good thing, oh little princess."

Sienna smiled up at him and nodded. "Perhaps you're right and if I'm the princess then you must be the prince. After all, King Daddy and Queen Mommy are fighting again," she laughed before jumping down to the fuming vixen and laughing kitsune.

"Come now Youko, the two of you got along so well yesterday, can't you do it today?" Kuronue chided as he landed next to his mate and wrapped his arm around her waist. The two kitsunes stopped fighting and turned back to their friends.

"I was playing nice, it's her who's got the issue," he laughed. Youko looked over his friend and inwardly smiled. He was happy for Kuronue. It seemed that this bat demon would be a friend to him in ways that Youko never could be. A growl met his ears and he turned to see that Kiara still wasn't taking his last comment well.

Sienna saw that Kiara was about ready to give Youko another dose of her strength and quickly intervened by hugging her friend. "Thank you for the home. It's absolutely lovely. I'm going to miss you," Sienna whispered as she held her friend tightly.

Kiara was startled by her friend's words and hugged her back. "Oh you're not getting rid of me that easily. I expect your wings back at the hideout by midmorning everyday or I'll come and drag you back myself. There is no way that I'm giving you to Kuronue 100%. Sorry but I own your ass," she teased as she held her friend…no her sister close.

Sienna laughed as she gave her friend a pleading look. "Make it noon and you got yourself a deal," she said.

"I hate mornings just as much as you do but midmorning or dawn, you pick," Kiara said with a stern voice.

Sienna laughed and rolled her eyes. "Spoiled brat! You always get your way!" she teased.

Youko laughed at Sienna's comment. "Don't feel bad, Sienna, Kuronue has to be back at my hideout at dawn. I'm always up then so he must be too," Youko chimed in as he walked over to his friend who glared at him.

"You're a real bastard, you know that? You never use to make me get up at dawn before," Kuronue grumbled.

"What is it with everyone calling me a bastard all of sudden?" Youko whined.

"It's what you are so accept it," Kiara said as she pulled Sienna to the side.

"She acts like a bitch in heat half the time but you don't see me throwing it in her face every thirty seconds," Youko grumbled to Kuronue as the girls walked off.

"You're screwed," Kuronue laughed. "But thanks, man. I owe you for this."

"It's a gift, you don't owe me anything," Youko shrugged before turning towards the girls.

**With the girls…**

"Next week, can you stay at the hideout with me?" Kiara asked with a serious voice. The joking was gone and she was going to need Sienna.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Sienna asked as she noticed the difference in Kiara demeanor. Kiara leaned towards her ear and whispered. When she pulled back, her cheeks were bright red. "OH! Don't worry about it. You can count of me, I'll be there. Um, can I tell Kuronue so that he can keep an eye on you-know-who?"

Kiara looked over at the boys and nodded. "Just don't let him tell that womanizing bastard otherwise there might be a fight," Kiara warned.

"Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be thankful with the warning. Who knows how Youko will react once he figures it out," Sienna said as she started to walk back towards the boys.

Kiara stood in place and hung her head. _Mother where are you when I need you?_ She cried to the heavens. Kiara slowly took a deep breath before running up to catch Sienna. "I'm gonna head back home now. I need to talk to Kana about our next raid. I'll fill you in tomorrow. Enjoy your night with Kuronue," she said as she hugged Sienna good-bye.

Kuronue came up behind Kiara and pulled her into a hug. She squealed a bit before laughing. "You're not a bad vixen. Feel free to visit," he said as he heard a near silent growl from Youko. He placed her down as rolled his eyes at him.

"I like my ribs intact, thank you very much. Anyway, I think I'll take you up on your word. You have my favorite girl so you're going to have to share," she said before heading towards the forest. "I'll see you later, Sienna and maybe even you, Kuronue. Not you Youko."

Youko rolled his eyes as he said his good-byes. "That's not likely to happen. You'll get into trouble and I'll have to save you. I'm noticing a pattern. You'll see me soon enough, vixen," he laughed as he walked in the opposite direction.

"Womanizing bastard," she mumbled before taking off in a sprint.

"See, she called me a bastard again," he laughed as he waved good-bye and ran off.

**What will happen next week that has Kiara in need of Sienna? What is to become of the newly mated pair? What plan does Kuronue have in store for Youko and Kiara? Find out that and more in the next chapter of Love and Secrets.**

**Please review. All criticisms and ideas are welcomed!  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Here's the next installment of Love and Secrets! I hope you enjoy it!**

**Note: I do not own YYH or it's characters.  
**

Chapter 10: It's Getting Hot in Here!

It had been almost a week since Kiara and Youko gave their present to the second-in-commands and things have worked out pretty well. Kiara could tell that Sienna was much happier now and she was getting use to the coming and goings of her life. Tonight, Sienna would stay with Kuronue before temporarily moving back into Kiara's hideout. Sienna lay in Kuronue's arms after another night of unquestionable pleasure. She was enjoying her new life with her mate and wondered why she didn't do this before. Her mind quickly switched to next week as she mentally prepared herself for her friend's trouble.

Kuronue could sense something had changed in Sienna's demeanor. She seemed to be distant, especially in thought. "Are you scheming, mate?" he asked as he gently stroked her arms.

"Yes but not about you. Kuronue, I have to go back to the hideout for a week," she informed him.

"What? Why?" he asked, startled by her sudden need to leave. He moved a bit away from her so that he could look into her eyes. "What are you leaving?"

"No, no, no. I'm not leaving you in that sense. It's just that, Kiara's going into heat this week and she needs me to be there to protect her from any males that should nearby and from herself," she quickly said to try and easy the worry in her mate's eyes. She was relieved when he finally relaxed. "Also, I need you to sort of guard Youko. With the two hideouts being relatively close, there's no telling what might happen."

Kuronue groaned and dropped back against his pillow. This week was going to suck. "He'll be a mental case. I have no doubt that he'll feel it and he'll be fighting me tooth and claw to get to her. You better be back here to help heal me, because Youko is going to kick my ass. Kitsune heats are the worse out there," he whined.

"Trust me, I know. I've had to live with her now for several months and her heats are never fun," Sienna agreed.

Kuronue laughed and nodded. "So I won't see you for a week? I must admit that I am disappointed but let's hope that this week goes by quickly and that Youko and Kiara don't give us too much trouble," Kuronue said as he pulled Sienna into his arms and kissed her forehead.

Sienna cuddled closed to her mate and nodded. "Things are going to be interesting, that is for sure," she contemplated.

"I'm sure we can think of something to do that is more interesting then dealing with our friends," he said as he crawled on top of her and began to kiss at her neck.

**Over in the hot springs…**

Kiara relaxed in the hot water. Her body already feeling the oncoming heat. Her body tensed as the beginning of the shakes started. This one was going to be worse than she's ever felt before. She quickly dipped her head under the water, soaking herself all the way to the tip of her ears. She gently pushed herself to the surface and laid her head up against a rock. When she opened her eyes, the met smiling golden ones staring at her from across the water.

"Another relaxing bath?" Youko asked as he sat at the edge of the water with his feet in the water.

"The daily stresses of life are getting to me and I've been missing Sienna, so I figured I swim for a bit before going home. And what about you?" Kiara asked as she made sure her body was covered.

"I just came for a bath and this just happens to be my favorite spot, has been for years. In fact it's more so my favorite now that I know that you come here," he said as he stood and undressed. Kiara quickly turned her back and pressed her body against the rock. Youko chuckled before jumping into the water and swam up beside her. "So why is it you swim with your mask on? Does it actually come off?"

Kiara quickly swam away and turned back to him. She wasn't sure if she was giving off the scent of her heat but she didn't want to test him. "Of course it comes off. I just choose to keep it on, for my safety," she said as she watched him closely.

"Are you afraid of me?" he asked as he tried to move closer only to have her move away.

"No, I just don't want you invading my personal bubble which you feel the need to do every time I see you," she said as she moved closer to where her clothing laid.

Youko glared at her for a moment before using his strength to pin her up against the side of the pool. He could feel every aspect of her body. Her warm soft body seemed to fit his perfectly. His arms were on either side of her as he moved closer to her, breathing her in. "This is invading your little bubble and I have only done that on three occasions. To say I do that on every occasion is not a very nice thing to say," he said as he whispered into her ear.

Kiara panicked as push pushed him away and into the water. She quickly gathered her clothing and took off into the woods. Youko growled as he surfaced and looked for her but she was gone. His body however had come to life the moment he touched her body. She felt warm to him and seemed to be calling out to him. Her scent was off a bit too but he couldn't put his finger on it. Getting out of the water, he redressed himself and looked in the direction of Kiara's hideout. A need grew in him to go find her but his mind was disrupted when his bat demon friend appeared.

"So, it's bath time for you already? Good cause you stink," Kuronue teased as he dropped his bag.

"Are you going somewhere?" Youko asked.

"Yup, back to the hideout. Sienna and I got into a fight. We decided that a week back at home would be enough to cool our heads," he said as he looked Youko over. The fox demon was in a foul mood and Kuronue quickly discovered why. "Perhaps you need some cooling off of your own."

Youko flipped Kuronue off and started walking back toward the hideout. Kuronue followed with his usual smirk when he knew that he caught Youko in an embarrassing situation. Youko kept pace for a bit as Kuronue caught up. "So what did you two fight over?" he asked.

Kuronue turned back to Youko and shrugged. "I disliked her cooking. It was awful. Apparently she doesn't like having her cooking skills shot down," Kuronue laughed, clearly unrepentant. "So what got you all hot and bothered?"

Youko tried to ignore his question but knew that if he didn't answer, Kuronue would find out. "I ran into Kiara, she wasn't wearing anything and well I may have provoked myself when I pressed my body against hers. I may have worked myself up but there was something different about her. Her scent was off," he commented.

Kuronue stopped in his tracks as he looked at his friend's back. _This is bad. He caught scent of Kiara's heat. Now it'll be buzzing in his head until it's over. I've definitely got my work cut out for me._ Kuronue thought before realizing that Youko was calling back to him. He quickly picked up the pace and caught up to Youko. "Sorry about that. I guess I was day dreaming," he said as they entered the hideout.

"You do that a lot, you know," Youko said before heading back to his room. "Tell Yomi that I want to see the plans for the next raid right away."

Kuronue nodded and quickly headed to his room. It was going to be a very long week.  
**Back to the girls…**

It had been two days since Kiara saw Youko and now her heat was in full bloom. Kiara lay in her bed clinging to the blankets. Her temperature was high and sweat covered her brow. It was only day two and she still had control of her wits…for now. It wouldn't be long until she would throw logic to the wind and go out in search of a male to satisfy the fire within her body. She couldn't understand why this heat was so much more intense than the ones before it.

Sienna stayed with her throughout the two days. On the first day, Sienna locked them into her room and prepared her. Kiara had stripped to a very light night gown and lay in her bed. Her mask was discarded and her hair pulled up and away from her body. The girls were placed on high alert and patrolled the area of their hideout. Girls stopped by room, delivering ice, water, and food. Sienna could tell that Kiara was suffering and it pained her. A heat storm circled above their home. Kiara was in no shape to control her powers. It took most of her energy to stay in bed and to not give into the raging heat.

Yoshi stopped by with new linens and towels for the suffering kitsune. Sienna took them and nodded her thanks. Sienna quickly grabbed one of the smaller towels and placed it into the cold water. Kiara groaned and whimpered. Sienna quickly ringed the water off the towel and placed it on Kiara's forehead. "What do you need, Kiara? What can get you?" Sienna asked, feeling helpless.

"It's so hot!" Kiara cried, leaning her head into the cloth. It felt wonderful for a second before it began to warm up from her body. "Make this go away, Sienna, please!"

Sienna felt her heart break as the Spirit World princess begged for relief. She held the princess close to her as she gently caressed her hair. "It will be over soon. Just a few more days and then things will be normal again. Just rest, Kiara, rest," Sienna said as she looked towards the balcony. The heat storm brought a strong wind that seemed the hideout. Sienna left the doors open so that the air flowed into the room. Outside, she could hear the thunder, as well as the shouts of demons who had foolishly tried to find the demoness that was in heat. Kitsune heats were one of the worse because of how powerful they were but also because they called out to every male in such a seductive way that it couldn't be refused. Being a vixen was both a gift and a curse.

Kuronue sat across from Youko who was pacing his room. He could tell that he was slowly losing his mind. The other men were feeling the same effect but not him. He can only guess that Sienna's mark gave him protection from the vixen seductive scent. Youko was at everyone's throat, challenging them at every turn. Youko seemed to tolerate Kuronue for reasons he couldn't understand.

"Youko, why don't you work on creating new plants? Perhaps that will ease your frustration," Kuronue suggested.

Youko stopped his pacing and growled. "That will not ease anything! Until whatever demon is near the hideout has left, I will be like this," he said before sitting down, his body trembling under his own needs to seek out the female and satisfied himself within her. He couldn't believe how powerful this demon's heat was. He tried to figure out how close this demon was to affect not only him but his men. It was then that Youko finally understood. "It's not a random demon. It's Kiara."

Kuronue's attention was caught at the name of the demoness. "Kiara? In heat? How can you tell?" Kuronue asked as he tried to pretend he didn't know.

"That's the real reason for you staying here for a week. You're trying to keep me from her," Youko accused, his anger boiling.

"Youko, you don't want to go to her now. You'd lose all the progress you've made with her. If you go to her and mate with her now, you'll end up making her hate you forever. Mate with her when you both are ready, don't give into the animal side," Kuronue said as he back up a bit from the advancing kitsune.

Youko knew Kuronue's words were right but his body's urge for her was too strong. He needed to be with her and no one was going to stop him. "Nothing is going to stop me, Kuronue. I can't deny her call. I have no choice!" Youko growled as he moved toward the exit.

Kuronue tackled the kitsune to the ground as he tried to get him to see reason. "Youko, you know that if you mate with her now, knowing that if when she is of sane mind that this would be rape and on top of that she's fertile. Are you willing to bring a child into this world from rape? Can you live with that choice, Youko? Can you do that to Kiara?" Kuronue said as he held him down.

Youko growled. He was no longer seeing clearly. He used his vines and had them pull Kuronue away. "You should not have interfered," Youko said before running off into the woods. He would follow the scent as it called out to him.

Kuronue growled as he fought against the vines. He finally was able to unhook his sickle and cut himself free. "I have to find Sienna and help her. Youko is out of control. There is no telling what he'll do to get to Kiara," he said as he ran off into the forest.

Sienna had finally mixed enough of Kiara's herbs together to allow some of the heat in her body to release enough to sleep. Sienna watched over her like a mother would a sick child. Kiara was suffering enough and it was only day two of seven. She moved towards the balcony and saw all the lower class demons fighting her sisters. She had faith in them. She knew they would not fail her or Kiara. They owed everything to Kiara but Kiara asked nothing of them.

Sienna remembered the day the girls joined the group. They were all demonesses that were raped, abused and worse. Kiara found them, saved them, and together with Sienna, trained them to fight and defend themselves. Since then, the girls have stayed with Sienna and stayed by her side through everything. And now, when the woman they claimed as their leader was suffering from her own body, the stood outside and defended her and their home. Kiara would honor them when she was well again. Sienna knew she would.

Sienna watched the girls as they battled on but her eye quickly caught on to a silver blur, moving fast through the battles and up the wall vines of the hideout. Youko had arrived and he knew. Sienna quickly closed the balcony doors and locked them. Somehow Youko had slipped past Kuronue and was moving fast towards Kiara. Sienna ran over to Kiara, placed her mask back on, and started to lift her body up. Kiara protested a bit in her sleep as Sienna moved her away from the balcony. "Kiara, we must move quickly. Youko is coming. Please wake up," Sienna pleaded as she dragged the dead weight of her friend.

"Youko?" Kiara asked as she slowly started to wake.

"Yes, Youko, now move!" Sienna yelled as she pushed Kiara towards the door. The balcony doors banged open as Youko walked in, his eyes hungry for the vixen in Sienna's arms. "Youko, you don't want to do this. Just go back home."

Youko kept moving closer to Sienna as she worked on the locks to the door. Youko didn't respond to her. As she finished with the lock, Youko grabbed Kiara and pulled her from Sienna's arms. Sienna turned to grab Kiara back but was pushed out of the room and the doors locked in front of her. Sienna pounded on the door before trying to pick the lock. "YOUKO STOP! THINK ABOUT THIS! PLEASE!" she cried out to him.

Youko lifted Kiara up onto her bed and crawled on top of her. He growled possessively into her ear as he kissed down her jaw line, down her throat, all the way down to her shoulder. He quickly removed her top and admired the beauty that lay before him. He easily ignored the pounding and the shouting from outside the room. He wasn't going to stop. He had to have her. His hands caressed her sides and to cup her breast. They were warm and soft. He couldn't believe it. He went to lower his mouth down, to enjoy her taste when a hand placed on top of his.

Kiara looked up at the fox that was currently fondling her. Tears glistened her eyes as she gently grabbed his hand. His golden eyes shot up to hers, shocked by her gentleness. "Youko, please, don't do this to me. I know this is hard for you and for me but please stop," she whispered to him. A part of her wanted him to continue but she knew that this wasn't right and she fought both herself and the kitsune that hovered over her. She gently used her free hand and pushed at his shoulder. "Don't let the heat control you. Fight it."

Youko stared at her fiery green eyes. The heat was slowly returning to them as she became more awake. She moved his hand away from her breast and held it tightly in her hand. She quickly covered her chest but still held his hand. "Kiara…I…" he began, his wits slowly returning.

Kiara understood. He was suffering like she was and he was losing. She slowly moved her body closer to his and kissed his cheek. "Shh…just go home. We'll see each other soon enough and I promise that it'll be on better terms than the past. This can't be easy for you and I'm sorry I put you through this but I respect you more for not claiming me," she whispered against his chest, her consciousness fading.

Youko held Kiara in his arms, her works ringing in his ears. He knew when she had fallen asleep. Her breathing had become even and she didn't shake as much. He could smell the herbs on her breathe that Sienna must have given her to allow her to rest. Youko placed her against the bed before retrieving a cold towel. He had soaked in the ice bath that was drawn and placed it down her whole body. Her body jumped at the sudden change in temperature but she soon relaxed.

He wasn't dazed by the heat for the time being. He was seeing her clearly. He understood now. He accepted his future…his future with her. He would protect her and he would love her and he would never harm her. He moved his hand up to cup her cheek. He could feel her skin as well as the mask. In one swift move, he could remove it but realized that didn't care anymore. As long as she would be his, she could keep her secret identity. There was no more hunting about her instead the hunt was for her.

This new determination started to sink in as Sienna and Kuronue broke into the room. Both froze as they saw Youko sitting at Kiara's bedside, offering aid instead of lust. "Youko?" Kuronue asked cautiously.

Youko leaned over and gave Kiara a soft kiss before turning to his friend. "Kuronue, take me back to the hideout and lock me the room with my plants. Don't let me out until she is better, is that understood?" he ordered darkly.

Kuronue stared at Youko then nodded and quickly went to his friend. "I'm proud of you," Kuronue whispered as he grabbed the fox and took him back to their hideout and locked him away.

Sienna breathed a sigh of relief before turning her attention to Kiara. Sienna had no idea what happened between the two kitsunes but she was pleased with the outcome. Relocking the bedroom door, she took the towel off Kiara and quickly replenished its water. The next five days would be worse but at least their biggest problem locked himself away.

**Looks like Youko has new goals to achieve but what happens when Kiara finally gains her sanity and is no longer in heat. Will she be understanding of his assault on her or will she rise up with a vengeance? Find out all this and more in the next chapter of Love and Secrets!**

**Please review. Thanks!  
**


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's the next installment of Love and Secrets. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Note: I do not own YYH or it's characters.  
**

Chapter 11: Youko's vow.

The last five days of Kiara's heat were spent in agony. Youko was locked in the room with his plants. He banged at the door and tried all normal tricks to break free but Kuronue kept him there. Both Kiara and Youko had lost sight of their normal selves and embraced their animal sides. Neither caring about what happening around them, all they wanted was to find each other and mate. When the five days finally ended, Youko was released from his temporary prison, completely exhausted. Kuronue could sense the tension and exhausted the moment he came into contact with him. His friend had suffered worse than ever.

"Alright there, fox boy. A nice hot bath and long nap will get you back up to your peak," he said as he started to lead Youko towards his private bathroom.

Youko pushed Kuronue away and started for the door. "I can't rest yet," he said as he moved towards the door. His body felt like dead weight and he was off balance.

Kuronue quickly caught his friend and lifted him up. "You have no strength, Youko. This hit you bad, you need to recover your strength," Kuronue chided. Youko was being a fool in his eyes and was thankful that at the moment, he was stronger than the kitsune. Kuronue lifted Youko over his shoulder and started to walk back into the room. "Rest! Or I'll tie you up!"

Youko fought against Kuronue as he tried to get free. "I have to see her, Kuronue! Let me go!" he yelled as he tried to growl at him.

Kuronue quickly let him down and looked him over. "Please tell me you're not under the influence of her heat," he said as his body tensed up.

Youko smirked and shook his head. "No, I'm myself but, I need to see her. I need to make sure she's ok. Please Kuronue, let me go," he said as he tried to move from his friend's grip.

Kuronue eyed him carefully before nodding. "Alright, I'll make a deal with you. I'll let you go see her but I come with you and once you've see for yourself that she's ok, you come back here and you rest until your strength is fully restored," he said as he waited for his friend to take the deal.

Youko knew he was no match for Kuronue at the moment and his urge to see Kiara was growing stronger. He had no choice but to submit to the bat demon's deal. Youko nodded to his friend. "Alright, you have my word. As soon as I know that she's alright, I won't fight with you anymore," Youko gave in.

Kuronue nodded and helped his friend to his feet. They quickly moved up and out of the hideout and into the forest. When they arrived at the girls' hideout, they were shocked to see all the demon bodies that laid at its feet. _Kiara's heat was stronger than I realized. No wonder Youko lost control like that._ Kuronue thought before flinching as he spotted the bodies of three of their men.

"They didn't stand a chance," Youko said as he too saw their men laying in a pool of their own blood.

"How exactly did you manage to get up there when every other demon ended up in pieces?" Kuronue asked as they stopped at the entrance and turned towards the guard. "We'd like to see Sienna please. Tell her, her mate is here."

Youko watched as the guard walked away from them before turning to Kuronue. "I knew exactly where she was. Many of the women here were busy down here so they didn't bother to look up at the vines that led straight to Kiara's window. All I did was climb," he said as he pointed to the side of the wall. "How did you get in?"

"You know, if Kiara and you were heat crazed, that might have been a romantic gesture. I'm sure it's been done before just can't remember where," Kuronue shrugged as the guard arrived and indicated for them to follow. "I do have wings, remember? All I had to do was fly into the window I thought was Kiara's, I was actually a floor down."

Youko chuckled softly. Kuronue had an easier entrance, sort of. The guard led them into a main hall were a very exhausted Sienna waited. She watched Youko's every move very carefully. She was obviously still sore with Youko for his shove. Kuronue stopped in front of her and offered her a soft smile. "Are you doing alright?" he asked as he looked her over.

"Do I look alright?" she shot back. She hadn't slept in days and it was evident on her face. "Why is he here?"

Youko snapped his head up as he heard the venom in her voice. _Oh yeah, she's definitely unhappy with me._ Youko thought. "I came to see, Kiara. To make sure she survived this ok," he said softly.

"She's fine so you can go now," she said as she pointed towards the exit.

"Sienna, please. Let him see her. He back to normal now and I'll be with him. He's too weak to try anything," Kuronue said. Youko knew that he meant well but telling women that he was weak was something he wasn't happy about being publicized.

Sienna looked at her mate then back at Youko. She moved closer, unafraid of him. She poked him a couple of times to see if he'd try anything. Youko wanted to growl at her childish behavior but he understood why she did it. Satisfied that he wasn't going to pull a similar stunt as before, she nodded and turned towards a staircase. "Alright, I'll take you to her but she's resting so don't you dare disturb her. And you're going to be blindfolded. We don't need you knowing your way around here and deciding you can come be with her whenever you want," she said as two guards came and blindfolded Youko.

"Why do I get blindfolded and Kuronue doesn't?" Youko whined.

"Kuronue is mated to me so he's of no threat to the girls here. Also, you're too weak to walk on your own and he has to carry you. Can't have him trip and get hurt because he's blind and carrying your ass. And besides, I don't trust you right now. You're on my shit list," she said as she continued on the way.

All Youko knew was that he was constantly moving upward. He could only guess that Kiara was all the way at the top. _A princess in the tallest tower guarded by a dragon? Yup. I found my princess. And my best friend mated to the dragon. Now I just have to save her._ He thought to himself. He had to hide his laughter so as not to provoke the dragon. He decided that from now, Sienna would be known as the dragon to him, a very affectionate, nickname.

Sienna and Kuronue talked about what happened over the week, as if they were comparing notes. Youko tuned them out. He wasn't really interested in what they had to say. All he wanted to do was to see Kiara, to apologize for his assault and inform her of his new intentions. He had to tell her. After several minutes, they stopped and his blindfold was removed. Sienna opened the door and stuck her head in. Satisfied about something that he didn't know, she allowed them to enter.

Youko look around the dark room. He didn't get a chance to see it when he made his advance at Kiara. It was a simple room, filled with reds, greens and blacks. Her room held some plants that he recognized. He turned around and saw her lying in her bed, her mask still on. He could only guess that Sienna warned her that he was coming. He let go of Kuronue and moved away from him. Kuronue tried to grab him as Sienna hissed at him but he didn't care, he was at Kiara's side in a blink.

"Kiara?" he whispered as he took her hand. She was barely awake as he sat beside her. He could tell that she lacked all her energy and her strength. _She must have been through hell and I didn't help her situation._ He thought to himself and bit back a growl.

Kiara opened her eyes a bit more and saw the silver haired demon sitting beside her, her hand in his. "Youko?" she asked weekly.

"It's me. I had to see you. I had to make sure that you were ok. That I didn't hurt you," he said softly.

Kiara smiled softly and shook her head. "You didn't hurt me. I'm fine. I understand why you did what you did and I don't blame you," she said back. She could see that Kuronue and Sienna waited at the bottom of her bed, ready to jump incase Youko still wasn't himself. Kiara could see that he was. For the first time, he was showing her the real him. "Sienna? Kuronue? Can I talk to Youko alone for a moment, please?"

Kuronue nodded as he started for the door but stopped when he noticed his mate stayed in her place. Sienna kept her eyes on Youko as she spoke back to Kiara. "Kiara, I'm not sure that's a good idea. Remember the last couple of times that Youko was alone with you?" she said as she glared at Youko.

Youko's golden eyes met Sienna's purple ones as they glared at each other. "I won't do anything to her, Sienna. She'll be safe with me," he said.

Sienna laughed in his face as she placed her hands on her hips. She was prepared to lecture him into next week but was quickly startled. "Sienna!" Kiara snapped. Sienna looked at Kiara and saw her glare. "Go be with Kuronue for a bit. I'll be ok. I may be exhausted but I can still defend myself."

Sienna glared back at Kiara but turned and went out with Kuronue. Kiara knew that Sienna was just exhausted that she wasn't really fighting with Kiara. Youko held her hand tightly as he smiled down at her. "Kiara, I'm so sorry for what I did to you," he whispered before bringing her hand to his lips.

"Youko, there is no need to apologize. The heat got to you. It's alright," she said as she watched him. She could tell that this had been eating away at him since that day.

Youko held on to her hand before taking a deep breath. "I know I was an ass on that day but I when that happened, I realized something," he said before looking her in the eyes. "I was able to stop myself from hurting you because I love you. I stopped because I couldn't bear to hurt you. I want to be with you, Kiara. I don't care about your identity anymore. I just want to be with you."

Kiara couldn't believe what she was hearing. Youko was spilling himself, opening himself to her. She didn't know what to say. She could tell that he was waiting for her to tell him how she felt. "Youko, I didn't expect this from you. I honestly didn't know you felt this way about me, I mean with all the times we've fought with each other but I do love you," she said. He immediately smiled widely at her and moved to kiss her but she stopped him. He gave her a confused look. "I do love you, Youko but I can't be with you. I'm sorry."

Youko's smile faded. She loved him but she didn't want to be with him. Youko couldn't understand. He finally guessed it was because of what he did. "It's alright. I understand if you don't trust me. I didn't exactly show decorum during this past week. I promise that I'll make it up to you. I will earn your forgiveness," he said. He could hear Sienna pacing outside the room and knew that he had overstayed his welcome. He smiled down at her as he placed a kiss on her forehead. "Get some rest and I'll see you soon."

Kiara stared at Youko as he turned and left the room. He actually thought the reason she didn't want to be with him. Sienna walked into her room and shut the door behind her. She walked over to Kiara and crawled onto the bed. She pulled the closest pillow into her arms and snuggled deeply into it.

"We gotta talk before you head off to dream land," Kiara said as she turned over to look at the exhausted bat demon.

Sienna glared at Kiara but nodded. "What did you guys talk about?" she asked as she closed her eyes.

"He told me that he loved me and that he wanted to be with me," she said.

Sienna opened her eyes and sat right up. "He said all that after he tried to rape you? The nerve!" she shouted.

"I told him that I loved him as well," Kiara whispered. "Then I told him that I couldn't be with him."

"Of course you can't be with him! Not after that little stunt five days ago. And to think that Kuronue and I were planning to help you and him get together. Your heat came just in time to show his true colors," Sienna shouted.

"He thinks the reason I don't want to be with him is because of what happened. That's not the case," Kiara said, more to herself as Sienna continued to bad mouth Youko.

"Excuse me? 'That's not the case'? What do you mean by that?" Sienna snapped.

Kiara ignored Sienna's outbursts and continued. "Sienna, I want to be with him but the problem is that it's Kiara he wants not Kaida and unfortunately I'm only Kiara for two more years. How can I possibly be with him when I have to leave him and go back to Living world? I'm the princess of Spirit world who is in love with the King of Thieves. That's why I turned him down. If I could forget about Kaida then I would be with him right now but the fact is that Kaida has responsibilities that she can't ignore," Kiara explained.

Sienna stared at Kiara and finally understood. "So, like any good kitsune, he's going to be stubborn and do everything to get what he wants…you," she said. "I'll put the girls on alert. He's not to come back here."

"No, Sienna. Just let it be for now. You and I are both too tired to deal with this now. Let's get some rest and deal with this later," Kiara said as she turned over and closed her eyes and tried to sleep. Sienna wanted to say more but she knew that Kiara was done.

Youko walked into his room, his energy seemed to be slowly returning as his determination to be with Kiara kicked itself into high gear. Kuronue was completely confused as he followed Youko all the way back to the hideout. "Youko, what happened back in Kiara's room?" Kuronue asked, trying to figure things out.

"I told her the truth," Youko said as he threw out his notes about her. "I told her that I loved her and that I wanted to be with her."

"You told her what?" Kuronue asked. He couldn't believe that Youko had confessed all of this to Kiara. "What did she say?"

"She told me that she loved me too," Youko said as he smiled up at her. He quickly moved down to where he grew his hybrids and started to get to work.

Kuronue followed down and smirked. "So she loves you? That's perfect. Now all you need to do is mate with, properly, and then you'll be set," Kuronue said as he watched him. "Should you be resting? Like you promised?"

"I can't do that right now. She doesn't want to be with me. I think she's still afraid of me for what I did to her," he said as he looked at two different plants. "I know I promised but I have to make this for her. I have to prove to her that she doesn't have to be afraid of me and that she can trust me."

Kuronue shook his head and grabbed the distracted kitsune and started to drag him back to his room. "A deals a deal, Youko. It's bed time for you whether you like it or not," Kuronue said as he tied the kitsune up. Youko growled as he fought with him. Kuronue threw him on his bed. "Good night Youko, I'll let you go in the morning."

Youko glared at Kuronue as the bat demon walked out of the room.

**What's Youko going to do to win Kiara over? Will Kiara give up her life as the Princess to be with the King? Find out all this and more when Love and Secrets return.**

**Please review! Thanks!  
**


	12. Chapter 12

_**Ok, I'm sooooooo sorry that I haven't posted in a year but there is very good reason. I moved, went to school, got a job, got another job and computer blew up. But all is better and I've been writing again. (I've had my friends give me crap for not writing so I get it on both ends.) So expect more updates and less disappearances. Also another story to come out. So enjoy the new update and I'll be back again soon. **_

**Chapter 12: Strike One!**

Youko waited patiently, the next morning, for Kuronue to return and to set him free. He was able to regain his strength and rest but he also planned, planned to get Kiara to accept him. Kuronue walked into the room and smirked as she saw the unhappy look upon his friend's face. "Rest well?" he asked.

Youko growled but waited for Kuronue to untie him. When he didn't move, Youko nodded. "Yes, I rested well enough and my strength is at its peak. Care to try me?" Youko challenged.

Kuronue shook his head and smirked. "Nope but I think you've held up you're end of the deal so I guess I can let you out to play," Kuronue laughed as he untied the agitated kitsune. Youko quickly rose from his bed and went straight towards his bathroom. Kuronue shrugged as he waited for Youko to return.

When Youko emerged, he looked up and smirked at Kuronue. "We have much to prepare for. Inform Yomi that we're to do a raid ever two weeks. This will keep the men in high spirits if they have some treasure to play with. Also, I want you and Sienna to plan a masque, in a month's time. I have my own plans," Youko said as he immediately headed down to where he creates his plants.

"Plans? Do these plans include getting Kiara to give into you and become your mate?" He asked as he followed.

"My plan is for me to gain a mate but first I must gain her trust and her forgiveness," Youko said as he picked up a rose and another one of his favorite flowers.

"Do you have a general idea of what you're going to do?" he asked.

"Not a clue but I'm going to keep seeing her," he said as he started combining the flowers into a perfume.

"You only have one problem," Kuronue said as he picked up a piece of silver.

"And what is that?" Youko asked.

"Sienna," Kuronue whisper.

Youko stopped what he was doing and looked at his friend. "I forgot about her. Is she going to cause me some problems?" Youko asked.

"Well, she doesn't like you not after what you did during Kiara's heat. So I think that is high possibility. I can try to buffer as much as I can but I can't promise much. When it comes to Kiara, she's over protective," Kuronue said as he spun the silver piece in his hand.

"No kidding, it probably has something to do with Kiara's real identity," Youko thought before shrugging. "She can pull whatever she wants, I'm not giving up."

Kuronue looked up as Youko finished what he was doing and handed him the piece of silver he was playing with. "I wish you luck, man. You're going to need it. I'll head over to Yomi and pass the message along and then I'll go find Sienna and 'suggest' the idea of the masque," Kuronue said before turning back to the exit and leaving.

Youko nodded as he looked down at the perfume he had created. The scent was unique and he couldn't wait to smell it on her. He looked down at the silver piece that Kuronue had been playing with. It wasn't anything special. Just an ordinary piece of silver. Youko smirked as an idea same into his head. He picked up the piece of silver and began to mold and bend it into a particular form. He managed to make two different pieces from the silver before attaching them to a silver chain. He placed the silver chain down in his room before taking the perfume and running off towards Kiara's hideout.

Kiara sat in her room, looking down at a picture of her mother and herself as a small child. She remembered her mother telling her the story of how her mother and father became mates and chuckled to herself. Koenma had asked her several times to be his mate before she finally accepted. It seemed that Kiara was like her mother except that she could never give into Youko's request, no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't. She placed the picture back in its hidden spot before wiping away a tear.

Sienna went back to her home, seeing as she was still exhausted and didn't agree with Kiara's point of view. Kiara had promised her that she'd spend the day resting since she wasn't up to her normal strength. "A week of hell to lose all your strength only to go through another week to get it all back," she grumbled.

"So I take it that you're under house arrest?" a familiar voice asked from behind her.

Kiara quickly turned around and found Youko standing at the door to her balcony. He had his hand behind his back but he also had a knowing smirk on his face. Kiara laughed softly before giving him a fake pout. "Sienna is so mean to me. She won't let me go out and play," she said as she got up and walked over to him.

Youko smirked as he shook his head. "That's not very nice of her. You seem like you're back to normal," he commented as he moved to place his arms around her. His smirk vanished as he looked down at her. "I know that you turned me down but I'm not giving up. I will prove myself to you."

Kiara looked up at Youko with a sad look and started to move away. "Youko, please. Understand that I can't. I'm sorry," Kiara whispered.

Youko kept his arms around her. He could feel her hesitation and withdrawal. He had a long way to go to gain her forgiveness. He kept his eyes on her but smiled just the same. "Why don't we go out for a walk? I'm sure you could use the fresh air," he said as he turned her towards the exit.

Kiara looked up and smirked. "Jailbreak?" she asked.

"Something like that," he laughed.

Kiara smirked at him before sneaking over to her door to make sure it was locked. She did a quick test before joining Youko. "Lead the way!" she said as she smiled up at him.

He smiled down at her before taking her hand to the balcony. He quickly hid what was in his hand and placed it into his pocket. He went first as he climbed down the vines and waited for her to join him at the bottom. She quickly followed him down, showing absolutely no fear as she made her way to solid ground. When she turned to him, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the forest. "Let's go. I know the perfect place," he said as he dragged her into the woods.

"Is this a date, Youko?" she asked playfully.

"It can be if you want it," he said as he continued into the woods.

"What are you hiding, Youko?" she asked suddenly. Even as she waited for an answer, he kept pulling her until he turned around and tied as red silk blindfold around her eyes. "Youko?"

"It's a surprise and you'll see soon enough," he said as he pulled her into his arms and held onto her.

She squirmed a bit before giving up and waiting for him to put her down. It didn't take long until her ears picked up on the sound of water. "We're not at the hot springs, are we? Cause you're still not getting that lucky," she said as she moved to remove her blindfold.

Youko chuckled as he placed her on her feet. "Sorry to disappoint you but we're not at the springs. We're at something of my own creation, if I do say so myself," he said as he fully removed her blindfold and allowed her to see a secret waterfall that Youko had taken a large amount of time to conceal. The ground that surround the pool below the waterfall had the softest grass ever created so that as one laid upon it, one could gaze up at the hundreds of flowers that bloomed above.

Kiara felt her jaw fall as she stared at the beauty of the waterfall. It was pure silence aside from the sound of water. She let her feet glide across the grass as she walked towards the pool and dipped her foot in. "So warm. How did you do this? When did you do this?" she asked as she turned around to look at Youko.

Youko had moved to stand behind her and smiled down at her. He loved seeing the surprise on her face at his sudden closeness. "Many years ago. This place was perfect for me, when I wanted to disappear from it all. Its beauty and peacefulness helped to keep me sane. I…uh…wanted to share it with you," he said before pulling out the small bottle and handed it to her. "I also created this for you. I think that the flowers I chose best describe you."

Kiara took the small bottle and opened it enough to get a good scent. "Roses, lavender, and orchids? Perhaps cherry blossom?" she asked as she looked up at him.

Youko nodded to her as he moved to wrap his arms around her. "All of them. Each flower represents you in one way or the other, especially the roses. Gorgeous too look at and to smell but dangerous to touch," he said as he placed his head on hers. "Will you wear it?"

Kiara smiled before dabbing a few drops at strategic points on her body. She dared a look up at Youko and noticed that his eyes were closed and his nostrils flared. "Perfect," he muttered.

Kiara turned in his arms and rested her head against his chest. "Thank you, Youko. It's very thoughtful of you," she said as she placed the bottle safely in her pouch then stepping away. "This feels weird. A couple of months ago we were doing everything we could to get under each other's skin and now we're acting like Kuronue and Sienna."

Youko let Kiara pull away from him and go on about how they changed and even he had to admit that it was strange feeling like this. He thought back to before he met her. To the days when it didn't matter what female was in front of him. He would have had her in his bed, had his way with her and then sent her packing. They meant absolutely nothing to him but looking at Kiara, he couldn't even imagine her leaving him. Even the thought of her being with another male made him growl with possessiveness.

Kiara must of have heard his growl because she turned toward him in concern. He cleared his throat and looked at the waterfall. "You can't control who you fall in love with, Kiara. It just happens. You can either embrace it or run from it and to be honest I don't want to run. I've been doing that for years and now, I see you. I see you standing there amongst the plants that I helped to grow and all I can think about is you. Not thieving or fighting. Just you. You've all I've ever wanted in a mate. You challenge me in a way that no one ever has. You're like a lock that can't be picked. But just as you're hard and cold, you're soft and caring. I see the way you are around the other women. You treat them like they're of your own blood. I love that about you. You'd make a great mother," he confessed before realizing what he let slip.

Kiara stared at Youko. That's all she could do. Her mind raced. Her heart pounded. Youko was a male of worth, not a womanizing bastard. He just needed the right woman to show him who he really was. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong woman. He chose a woman he could never have. He had to fall in love with the heir to Sprit World. Tears filled in her eyes as she turned her back on him. Anger coursed through her as she thought of her other life and how she almost wished that she could give it up. Wished that should could rip off her mask and reveal the whole truth to him but she couldn't.

Youko saw Kiara's tears and quickly moved to have her in his arms. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make you cry," he said as he held her close.

"I wish that you didn't love me, Youko," she whispered.

"Why would you say that?" he asked, shocked.

"Because things would be so much easier for both of us but now I feel like I'm splitting in two and it's killing me," she said as she pulled away and looked down at herself in the pull. Although she had her mask on, it was two people who stared back at her: Kaida and Kiara.

"Why do you feel like you're splitting in two? Kiara, I would never ask you to give up your girls. You wouldn't have to choose between them or me. You could have us both," he said hoping that that would cure her sorrow.

Kiara forced out a laugh as she shook her head. "This is not about the girls. In a way, they will suffer like you," she said before shaking her head. She looked down at the water before taking off her shirt and pants and jumped in. "I don't want to talk of sad things anymore. Let's swim."

Youko watched as Kiara deflected the problem at hand. His mind trying to figure out what she meant by how both he and the other females would suffer. His mind, however, didn't linger on that puzzle for too long. When she started to remove her clothing, his demon came screaming to life, drinking up the sight of her tan skin as it descended into the clear water. He watched as she swirled her dark mahogany hair in the pool, almost like a dance amongst the ripples. It didn't take him long for his own clothes to disappear and for him to join her in the water. He reached out to her and pulled her body to his and together the two of them circled in the water in the silence the babbling water.

Kiara smiled up at him as he held her close. She had let the water rush over her body, in a way, washing away her worries of what was to come in just a couple of years. A part of her was telling her run and to keep on running while the other screamed to give up the life of Kaida and remain as Kiara. She pushed both of those voices into a room and closed the door. For now, she was going to celebrate that both Youko and herself survived her heat. She looked up at the silver hair fox and wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in close to his ear. "Tag," she whispered before dunking him clear under and swimming off into the pool.

Youko quickly broke the surface and looked for the vixen that pulled yet another fast one on him. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the swish of her black tail as she swam under the waterfall and towards the caverns that were hidden behind them. He quickly followed after her and it didn't take him long to catch her tail in his claws. He pulled her back and dragged her to the surface. He held her close to him as he swam them both to the edge. "So what is my prize for catching you?" he asked in a low whisper.

Kiara shivered under his arms as his words shot through her. This was a familiar Youko. The flirty Youko. "Prize? I didn't realize that there was something to gain," she said as she looked up into his golden orbs.

"Oh there is something to gain here. There's always something to gain from you, Kiara," he said as his lips claimed hers.

Kiara welcomed his lips. She knew now that she would never be able to resist them and at this moment, she didn't want to. Youko's hands seemed to fit perfectly around her body, as if her body was meant for him. She was surprised by this realization but not as surprised as she was when she realized that he knew the same thing. His lips moved from hers to her throat. He gave her slow salutes of his feelings for her. At one point she felt his fangs brush the side of her throat. "Don't mark me, " she barely whispered.

"I won't until you tell me to," he growled possessively as he moved further down. He was in love, he knew it now. Every part of him wanted to mark her. To call her his, but he didn't dare do it against her wishes. He wouldn't enjoy those reprocussions. He was about to move further down to her chest when she moved away. Youko gave her a confused look, wondering why she moved away. "Kiara?"

"I don't know if I can keep this up," she whispered to herself.

"Keep what up?" he asked as he urged her to continue.

"This double life," she confessed.

"What double life?" Youko asked, listening carefully.

"Kiara isn't who I am. I made her up to surivive here," she said before realizing what she said. She quickly gathered her clothing and ran off into the jungle.

Youko stared at her. Shock was clear on his face. A part of him knew that Kiara wasn't who she said she was but for her to say it aloud was harder to accept. He watched as she disappeared into the jungle only to realize she didn't know where she was going. Forgetting his clothes, he chased after her. It didn't take long for him to catch her. As he laid upon her, trying to sooth the flailing vixen, he tried to surpress the urge to remove her mask. "Kiara! If you keep this up, your mask will fall. Do you really want me to see who really are?" he asked, unsure of the answer he would receive.

She stopped squirming about as she looked up at him, fear clear in her eyes. Youko couldn't help the concern that showed on his face. He watched as she placed her hand on her mask. "What is so horrible that you must hide from me?" he asked a bit hurt.

"If you only knew, you wouldn't feel the same about me. If you truly knew, you wouldn't want me," she said before squirming out from underneath him. "I'm sorry Youko but no matter how much I love you, I can't abandon my other life or that responsibility. No matter how much I want to."

Youko stared at her as she fortified her resolve and took off into the jungle. Youko stared at what was once Kiara before heading back for his clothing. So much had been revealed in the short amount of time that they were together but the very secret that she held so close to her heart. Once Youko finished dressing, he returned to his own hideout, to think of what to do, to decide if he should continue to pursue her or let her go. Youko tried to imagine her with another male, every time he pictured it, he growled with his mind saying _mine_.

**_What a mess! Kaida finally fines peace and happiness and Koenma has to screw up again. What do you do when you're torn in two? Find out on the next chapter and Love and Secrets!_**


	13. Chapter 13

**Ok, I know I'm seriously lame and my life is complicated and packed but when I get the chance I am always working on a new chapter and here i****t is!**

Chapter 13: Strike Two

Kiara ran as fast as she could, not to the hideout. Not to anywhere in particular but just to run. She couldn't believe that she had told Youko that Kiara was a fake. She wouldn't be able to look at him now. She didn't know how long she ran for before she came across a forest with some mountains. To the place where she arrived and Kiara was born.

A part of her wanted to give it all up; to return to the world that she knew was safe, but she couldn't. She couldn't leave the girls and she couldn't leave Sienna, but she couldn't go back, not yet at least. Tonight, she'd stay out. She needed to be by herself to figure out the mess she was now in and how to best fix it. She looked around her current area until she found a small cave in one of the mountains. Deciding that this would be the best location for her, she took off toward the cliff side and began climbing.

She could feel the ache in her arms as she free climbed all the way up. She was grateful for it. It was what she needed to ground herself to reality, sort of. It didn't take her long to get to the cave in question. Always on her guard, she maneuver through the dark cave, making sure that no one was home or planning to return home anytime soon and began building a fire.

Sienna sat on her bed attempting to relax after her encounter with a vixen heat. She was exhausted. Kiara was worse this time. She became so wild and violent that Sienna was forced to tie her to her bed. Sienna snuggled deep into her pillows as she tried to rest. She was almost asleep when she heard a soft knock on her door. She was half tempted to tell them to leave but figured it was Kiara. Pulling herself from the warmth of her bed, she opened the door to find Kana waiting for her.

"Kana? What's up?" she asked, a bit annoyed.

"Have you seen Kiara? I went to bring her food but when I went in, the room was empty," she said a bit worried.

"Have you looked around or asked the others? She is exhausted, she can't have gone far," she said as she started towards Kiara's room.

"No one has seen her. I checked with everyone. She's not here," Kana said as she followed.

As soon as Sienna walked into the room, she was hit with a particular scent that washed over her. "Youko," she said as she ran towards the balcony and took off toward Youko's hideout.

Kuronue finished his meeting with Yomi and was heading towards his new home to see his mate. He still couldn't believe that he had a mate and that he actually loved her. Not that he would admit that to any of his fellow thieves. He didn't need them giving him crap about being a whipped demon. Not that he was, of course. Kuronue shook his head at his thoughts. Youko would be giving him crap right now if he knew. Pushing his thoughts away, he continued his stroll back home that is until he caught the scent of his lovely mate. Moving towards her, he saw as she moved quickly towards the hideout. "Sienna!" he called out to her.

Sienna stopped in her tracks as she looked over at Kuronue. Fury rang clear across her face as she looked at her mate. "WHERE IS HE?" she shouted as she ran over to him.

"Where is who? Sienna, what's going on?" Kuronue asked as he tried to calm her.

"Youko! He took her! Kiara is missing!" she shouted, anger clear across her face.

"Wait a minute, Kiara is missing?" he asked as he looked towards the girls' hideout. "He's not that stupid. He can't be."

Kuronue took off toward Youko's hot spring, hoping to see the fox demon there and alone because if he wasn't, somebody better save him from the demoness that would take him out.

Sienna followed close behind him, furry still clear on her face. "Where is he?" she said as she caught up to him.

"He said he was going to get give her a present that was it. He would have told me if he was kidnapping her," Kuronue said as he broke into the clearing and saw a very annoyed fox demon sitting on a rock looking into the water. "YOUKO! Where's Kiara?"

Youko came out of his deep thoughts as Sienna and Kuronue came to him. "Kiara? I don't know," he said honestly. After she left him, he came to the spring to try and figure out what she had meant. "Didn't she go back home?"

"No, you bastard! You took advantage of her again, didn't you? Kiara has been missing for hours! What did you do?" Sienna attacked as Kuronue tried to keep her from killing him.

"She and I went for a walk then she got upset and ran away! I thought she ran back home so I came here! I swear I didn't do anything to her!" he shouted back as panic took over. "Where would she go if she was upset, Sienna? What would she do?"

Sienna looked over at Kuronue, knowing full well that if Youko was lying, Kuronue would know. Kuronue looked hard at Youko. He had genuine fear and panic in his eyes. He knew he was telling the truth. "Sienna, where would she go?" he asked calmly.

Sienna nodded before thinking. "She might go home but I doubt she would. Home is a bad place for her right now. She may go where into hiding. She told me once that she used to do that when she was younger. Youko, what got her upset?" Sienna asked hoping that that would give her an idea of where she hid.

"She was talking about a double life, how she couldn't keep it up anymore. She said that Kiara wasn't who she really was. That if I knew the truth that I wouldn't love her anymore, but I don't see how that's possible. After she said all that, she took off and I didn't follow. I thought she might want some time alone," he said as he looked more at Kuronue than Sienna. In truth, he was more comfortable with him than her.

"Did she really say all that?" Sienna asked completely shocked. "I can't believe that'd she give that much information up to….."

Sienna stopped midsentence and took off into the setting sun. She knew where she was. She knew exactly where Kiara had gone to hide. She could hear Kuronue and Youko following behind her but she didn't stop. Kiara felt cornered and for once, instead of fighting she was going to go home. Sienna could only hope that she could stop her or at least talk to her before she went through the barrier.

"Sienna! Where are you going?" Kuronue asked as he caught up to her.

"I'm going to Kiara," she said plain and simple.

"Where is she?" Youko asked as he came along side her.

"She is where it all began. The very place where she and I met," she said before stopping at the foot of a mountain beside the forest. She looked around, searching for a clue that Kiara was close by. "If she's anywhere, she'll be around here somewhere, lying low so that none of the other demons will find her. Just like before."

Youko nodded as he looked around. He could only hope that she'd be there. It didn't take long before he smelt smoke. He looked up the mountain cliff face and saw a dim glow. Without a second thought, he started climbing. He moved fast, only thinking about whether she was safe or not. Soon enough, he came to the cave and saw the dim glow of a fire and Kiara resting beside it. Sienna and Kuronue flew in beside him. Sienna tried to go to Kiara but Youko stopped her. "Let her sleep. I think we can let her stay here for the night. I promise to bring her home first thing in the morning," he said as he looked her in the eyes.

"What makes you think I would let you be alone with her?" she snapped at him quietly.

"Because I love her like you love Kuronue. And I know that she loves me like Kuronue loves you. So go back to your home with Kuronue. I'll bring her back home tomorrow," he said as he moved toward Kiara, leaving no room for discussion.

Sienna was shocked at what Youko said about Kuronue. Until now, neither one had confessed any feelings along the lines of love. She looked over at Kuronue and he nodded softly. He loved her and thinking about it, she loved him as well. They would discuss this later why neither one of them confessed their true feelings but at the moment, she was more concerned about Kiara.

Sienna turned back to Youko and prepared to argue but Kuronue held her back. She looked up at him and saw the pleading in his eyes. Sienna looked between the two of them before giving up. "I want her home by dawn, Youko. And don't you dare hurt her or it'll be the last thing you do," she warned him as she allowed herself to be drag out of the cave by Kuronue.

Youko nodded his thanks to them both as they left and turned towards Kiara. She was peaceful and relaxed. He walked over towards her and curled his body around hers, keeping her warm and protected. "You scared everyone, Kiara. Don't do that again," he whispered into hair.

Kiara snuggled into the warmth that covered her. A deep whisper filled her, as if someone was here._ Someone here…_ that thought swam in her head over and over. She felt the arms come around her, holding her close. Panic grew as she pushed away from the body and across the cave. There he sat, Youko. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?" she asked as she tried to calm down.

"Sienna nearly killed me thinking I kidnapped you. It took a couple of minutes to convince her that I was not a kidnapper before she figured out where you were hiding. You scared us, Kiara. You scared me, and I don't like that," he said as he approached her. "I don't do scared. If something had happened to you, Kiara…."

Youko let the words go unspoken. He couldn't bear to speak them aloud; the thoughts alone sent a shudder up his spine. Kiara watched him as he approached. "Youko, I would have been fine. You don't need to worry," she said as he stopped in front of her.

Youko sat and pulled her into his arms, unable to let her go. "Too bad, I'm going to worry because I love you. You should know that," he said as he looked away. He was happy that she wasn't pulling away from him. It was a good sign. Taking the chance he looked down at her and smiled. "Besides, as my future mate, I can't let you go wandering around on your own. Never know what idiotic demon will get the stupid idea to touch you."

Kiara gave him an incredulous look before chuckling. "You won't give up, will you? Youko, you know I can't be your mate," she said sadly.

"I don't care if you're name is Kiara or that stupid toddler, Koenma. I'm not giving up on us. So the sooner you accept it, the sooner we can be happily mated and unite our two groups. To be the true King AND Queen of thieves," he said with a broad smile, showing the truth in his words.

"Youko, I can promise you this, I am not Koenma. I hate that toddler, always have and always will, but that aside, I can't give up my other life. Some days I wish I could but I can't," she said sadly.

"You keep saying 'your other life'. What is your other life? Why can't you bring that life here to be with me?" he asked, wanting to know the full story. "You don't have to tell me who you are but at least explain to me what is keeping you away."

"My sister for one. I need to protect her. To keep her safe from demons, humans, and spirit world. She's only a kit and I promised my master that I'd return to take care of her," she explained.

"Then let's go now and get your sister. I swear I'll help you protect her from everyone. I'll see to it that she is raised like a princess," he offered, hoping that that was the reason she hesitated.

"It's not just her, but my father as well," she said. As she looked up at his confusion, knowing how she felt about him, it was understandable. "When he dies, I take over our home, as the eldest child, it's my responsibility. As much as I hate the idea and would rather spend time with your 'guard dog' than go and take over his position, I can't leave everyone without a leader. So I wait until he dies and just stay under the radar."

"So you steal powerful object?" he asked amused.

"Unfortunately, like Koenma, my father is rather childish and idiotic. He can't see what is clearly in front of him. However, if I were to use my powers to their fullest, then I might as well be waving a flag saying 'Hey dad, I'm here!'" she said as she smiled up at him. "So I'm not about to do something like that."

"I don't think I want to see how bad a vixen you can be. I already know that your mind is deadly enough; I wouldn't want to tempt anything else to come my way. So why can't you do both? Why not be the thief and take over for your father when he dies. No one will know, just your sister and me," he said as he tried to convince her to be with him.

"And Sienna. She knows everything. It's why she's so protective o f me. I've actually been training her to take over for me, when the time comes," she said as she looked up at him. "But I still can't be with you. I'm so sorry, Youko but I can't be your mate, no matter how much I want to be with you."

"I'm not giving up, Kiara. I'm just as stubborn as you are and I won't give up until you're mine. I love you and you love me, I know it," he declared.

Kiara gave him a hard look, seeking the truth that his eyes were screaming at her. "You're right; I do love you, Youko. I told myself in the beginning that I would never fall for you but I did. I can't deny that," she said as her own words spoke of her truth.

Youko was speechless. Taking her into his arm, he placed his lips on hers, devouring her. Needing the feel of her underneath him. He pulled her body closed to his, gently laying her down on the ground and crawling on top of her. One hand held her head close to him, his lips moving with the expertise he gained over the years with the few females he dared to let in. She was a novice, he could tell easily and to him, it was the best thing ever. To him, it meant that no other male had touched her. She would be his now and forever.

Kiara wrapped her arms around him, her fingers digging into his thick silver hair, enjoying the feel of it as it fell down on either side of her. Youko was gentle. She couldn't believe it, she was sure that he would be more of an animal but he wasn't. Kiara held him close, his lips instructing hers. Her heart was soaring; all her fears seemed to vanish. Her arms curled around his broad shoulders, her nails dug deep into his skin, urging him to continue.

Youko purred deep in his throat. She wasn't fighting him or shying away. He couldn't believe it. She was willingly giving herself to him. His hands traveled from her head down the side of her body. He let his wandering hand push up her shirt to reveal her taunt white skin. It was smooth and soft. He let his hand rest against her warm stomach, waiting to see if she would object. An image came to him as he thought of her stomach round and firm, of the possibility of his child growing within her. He wanted to feel that and one day he knew he would.

As his hand rested in place on her stomach, he thought she'd push him away but instead she kept her hands in his hair and her lips moving against his. Youko gave her a small moan as he allowed his hand to move up the side of her ribcage. Kiara froze. Youko didn't stop his kisses as he pulled her shirt back down and kissed down her neck. He pulled back from her neck and searched her eyes. "Sorry," he whispered.

"No, it's fine. It's just that, I've never done this," she confessed.

"I won't do anything that you don't want me to," he whispered, hoping that he could keep his words.

"I'm not ready for that, Youko. I can't. I can't give myself to you and then deny you as my mate. I can't and won't do that to you," she said sadly, tears clinging to the corners of her eyes.

Youko looked down into her eyes, before kissing her tears away. "I'm still not giving up, but we have plenty of time to do this," he said as he got off her but pulled her into his arms. He couldn't lose the contact. He needed her in his arms. "Rest now, koibito."

Kiara rested her head against his chest, listening to the pounding of his heart, her own in perfect rhythm with his. She couldn't believe that she had stopped him from making love to her. She knew that her body wanted his, even her heart and mind wanted him but she knew that once she gave herself to him there would be no going back. She would never be able to return to Spirit World. And at this very moment, she never wanted to go back. Pain gripped at her heart and squeezed tightly. Every time she spent a moment with Youko, she fell deeper in love with him.

"I know you're thinking down there. Stop. Let your mind rest, you need it. I need you to be on your game for when you see Sienna," he said softly.

"Why's that?" she asked, amused.

"If I don't bring you back to her in perfect condition, I may be severely injured. Your friend is very…feisty, to put it nicely," he said as he shuddered.

Kiara chuckled as she snuggled closer to his side. "She's really quite harmless," she said.

"Sure, to spiders, dragons, and poison ivy. I feel so bad for Kuronue. Mated to the worse dragon in Demon World," Youko joked.

"Dragon? You call her that as well?" Kiara asked as she lifted her head to look at him.

"So I'm not the first to see the scales and the fire breathing?" he asked as he smiled at her.

"Oh no, I noticed those the second day after I met her. She uh, she has her moments, doesn't she?" she asked as she chuckled.

"I'll say! Kuronue is a braver man than I," he said as he gave her a look of mock fear. "I can't tell you how many times she glares at me with daggers."

"Welcome to my world. I've just learned to ignore her and eventually she'll get over it," Kiara said as she shrugged and placed her head back on Youko's chest.

Youko chuckled as he held her close. "You and Kuronue are two of the bravest demons I know. I wouldn't have lasted as long as you have," he said softly.

"Not as brave as you think," she whispered.

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

"If I was brave enough, then I'd be able to run my own life," she confessed as she slowly started to fall back asleep.

"Maybe you need the right demon to help you summon that courage," he said as he watched her fall back asleep.

Youko watched over her as she slept. A strange feeling came over him as he held the sleeping vixen, a need to keep her safe, warm, and protected. This feeling vibrated deep in his chest, soft at first then gradually getting stronger. He rubbed his hand over the small area that was not covered by Kiara. He never felt this before, never in all his years. Youko pulled her closer as he rested his head against the wall of the cave and soon fell asleep as well.

Youko awoke with a start. He felt frightened and alone, tears clung at his eyes as he looked around. The room was dark and cold, and Kiara was missing. Youko tried to stand up as panic took him but his legs failed him. He looked down and saw that his long muscular legs were now short and chubby. He was looking down at his toddler self. A bright light shown through the darkness, a tall figure with silver hair strode towards Youko's crib. Piercing gold eyes stared down at him. It was almost like looking at himself, but he knew the fox that reached for him. It was his father.

"Let's go little kit, your mother is calling for you," he said in a strange tone. Normally his tone was cold and harsh; the voice of a fighter but now it was soft and sad.

Youko held onto his father as he was carried into his parents' room. His mother lay on her mating bed, pale and weak. Her dark brown hair lay disheveled on the bed. A little life came into her eyes as she looked up at him. "My little Youko," she said as she weakly reached for him.

His father lowered Youko into his mother's arms and took a seat beside her, hiding in the shadows. Youko felt his mother pull his small body close to hers, as if trying to convey some message to him. "Youko, you do as your father tells you. Grow up big and strong. Remember me, my son," she whispered softly as her grip on him started to loosen. His father pulled him from his mother's arms and placed down on the bed. Youko lay there as his father clung to his mother, screaming her name. Youko watched as his father sobbed and held his mate close to his heart. It was then that Youko noticed the large hole in her back.

Youko felt tears slide down his face. He didn't know how long he lay there, sobbing with his father, before his world around him crumbled. His father placed his mate back on the bed and began packing. Youko watched as his father went from one room to the next before stopping in front of him. Youko looked up into the broken gold eyes as he was lifted and placed into a carrier on his father's back. Youko watched as his father walked out of their home and set it ablaze with his mother still inside. His father watched as their home burnt and turned the sky red and orange. His father turned and walked away, his back straight. "Youko, don't ever fall in love, don't ever get a mate. They only end up breaking you," he said as he walked into the dark.

Youko came to quickly, sweat dripping down his face. He looked around his surroundings and found he was back in the cave with Kiara. He looked down at his sleeping vixen, his father's words ringing in his head. His father was wrong. His father loved his mother more than he loved his son. He taught him hard lessons and made him find women as nothing more than things, until he met Kiara. Kiara is to him as his mother was to his father.

Youko knew now that if he ever saw his father again, that he would tell him how wrong he was. Kiara twitched a bit as the sunlight crept into the cave. "Kiara, rise and shine. Time to return you to the dragon," he said s he brushed a hand down her hair.

"Don't take me back, the dragon has bad breath first thing in the morning and you know she has a lecture waiting for us," she said as she slowly started to join the world of the living.

"Sorry but if I don't, then I'll be extra crispy," he chuckled as he helped her to her feet. "Of course, if we were mated then the dragon won't have the power to tell us off."

Kiara chuckled as she stood up. "No, that's too simple. Life is more fun when it's complicated," she said as she walked towards the opening of the cave.

Youko came behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "Can I ask a question without getting injured?" he asked.

"Yes?" she asked cautiously.

"How can you sleep in that mask? Isn't it uncomfortable?" he asked.

"Still wanting to see under my mask?" she growled at him as she moved out of his arms.

"Always, but that was not the reason for why I asked. I asked out of pure curiosity, that's all," he said calmly as he waited for both his answer and for her to return to his arms.

Kiara eyed him before nodding and returning back into his arms. "I don't even notice it half the time. I guess I'm just so used to it," she said as she shrugged.

Youko nodded. "Seems weird, I mean I don't think I could handle having that on for so long. Do you even get tan lines?" he asked, amused.

Kiara chuckled as she slowly lifted a piece of her mask to show him the discoloration in her skin. It was just enough for him to see the lines but nothing that would give him a clue as to who she was. "It'll take awhile to get rid of these babies," she said as she as she let the mask slide back into place.

"Trusting me a bit more?" he asked.

"You couldn't see anything even if you tried," she chuckled as she took off into the forest. "Let's go, Mommy and Daddy are waiting."

Youko chuckled as he ran after her. He pushed his memory of his parents to the back of his mind as he followed his destined mate. He wouldn't be like his father, he swore it to himself. He would be with his mate for all time and would actually care about any kits that he would be blessed to have with her.

**Struggling against your heart and your duty. Kaida keeps pushing poor Youko away but Youko won't give up and it's starting to look like he might win. Can Kaida give up being Kaida and remain Kiara forever more? Or will she lose the only good thing to come alone since her mother's death? What happens when strike three happens? Find out on the next chapter of Love and Secrets!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Here's the next update to Love and Secrets! Faster than every before...well not really but it's better than what I used to do so there. Lol. So here's Chapter 14! Enjoy!**

Chapter 14: Strike Three…You Win?

After Sienna and Kuronue left Youko and Kiara in the cave, they returned to their home. "Are you always going to be so hard on Youko?" Kuronue asked as he walked up beside her and took off her mask.

Sienna looked up at him and nodded. "Where Kiara is concerned, I will always be hard on him," she said as she looked up at her mate.

"He won't hurt her. If he does then I give you permission to murder him and beat me," he said as he smiled down at her kissed her.

"I'll hold you to that," she said as she kissed him back. Sienna moved away after a moment and looked up into Kuronue's eyes. "So you love me?"

Kuronue looked down into her eyes, shocked for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I do. I realized it earlier today but never got the chance to tell you," he confessed.

Sienna smiled up at him before placing her lips on his. How was it that she was so fortunate to find a bat demon that was a male of worth and to have him mated to her? Now, he loved her, he would stand beside her until the end of his days as she would for him. "I love you too, Kuronue," she confessed as she jumped into his arms.

Kuronue smiled as he held his mate close to him. He felt warm and overjoyed and all it took was his mate to do that for him. He kissed her deeply before moving away and giving her a thief's smile. "Do you love me enough to do me a favor?" he asked with a sheepish grin.

Sienna chuckled as she saw the grin and shook her head. "Depends, what's the favor?" she asked.

"I want to have a party, a masquerade. What do you think?" he asked.

"Why do I sense an ulterior motive?" she asked.

"Don't know what you're talking about," he said as he carried her to their room.

"Is this something Youko asked of you so that he'll have another shot at Kiara?" she asked as she eyed him.

"Perhaps but I think it would be fun so can we?" he asked hoping to evade her question.

Sienna eyed him for a few minutes longer before nodding her head. "I guess I'm not going to win in the whole Youko/Kiara love triangle," she laughed as Kuronue threw her onto their bed.

"No but you'll always win over our love triangle," he teased before crawling on top of her and began he slow attack on her skin.

It had been a couple of days since Youko and Kiara had spent the night together. Kiara had been making a point of staying away from Youko to spare them both the pain that would eventually come. Sienna had eventually forgiven Youko and had been hard at work with Kuronue working to get things ready for their first Thieves' Ball. Everyone was to come in costumes and masks and everyone was to be on their best behavior.

Youko had worked hard on his outfit and mask as well as a present for Kiara. As much as he liked the silver chain and charms, it was enough for him. He had worked hard at adding more charms that reminded him of his mate, including a rose with a special engraved message hidden in the petals. Youko's men were excited at the idea that they could spend time with the women without fear of them poisoning them; even Youko had to admit that he was glad about that.

As Youko admired his gifts, he thought of how Kiara was avoiding him. She had refused to see or speak to him, telling him that this was for the best. Youko didn't believe that and he'd get his chance to tell her at the party. He was thankful to Kuronue for setting this up. With Kuronue's help, He would get Kiara. Youko quickly put away his gift and prepared for tonight's ball. Youko dressed in a simple black tunic with silver embroidery. His mask was the same with a silver design. It reminded him of a masked hero or something along those lines. Satisfied with his outfit, he collected his gifts and made his way, with his gang, towards Kuronue's and Sienna's home.

Sienna had bullied Kiara, bullied her into attending this party. Kiara was dead set on never seeing Youko again. She had prepared herself mentally to just finish her three years and then leave and never come back but now, Sienna had forced her hand. She was furious with her. Sienna had purposely brought up that she and Kuronue were having a masque ball in front of everyone, knowing that the girls really wanted to meet and spend more time with the other thieves. It was a low blow and Kiara was forced to agree to it. Kiara was going to skip the party all together but she knew that she couldn't leave her girls their alone; someone had to watch out for them.

Kiara had no idea what she was going to wear tonight. She could hear the other girls as they giggled and discussed their ideas. Kiara wanted to scream. She glared at the door to the hall then at her closet. She had pulled out the other mask that she owned. Sienna had insisted that she have a fancy mask as well as a working one. At the time, Kiara thought she was just being ridiculous but at the moment, it worked. It was a dark green with silver trimmings around it. In truth, this mask fit better than her normal one. It was almost like it was made to fit her face.

Looking at the mask, she turned back to her closet, trying to find something that would work with this outfit. Finding nothing, she groaned and fell onto her bed in frustration. She even went as far as to kick and punch the bed, just to make her feel better. As she continued to pulverize her bed, she heard a knock at her door. Making sure her normal mask was in place, she opened up to see Yoshi smiling in front of her with a large box.

"Sorry to bother you, Kiara but this just arrived for you from Sienna. She said that you'd need this," Yoshi said as she handed the box over to Kiara. Kiara nodded her thanks as she closed the door, dreading what she'd find in the box. And of course, there was a note attached to it.

_K,_

_I know what's in that closet of yours and there isn't one thing that would work tonight, so I did you a favor and got you the PERFECT outfit. I know you'll just love it and who knows, maybe a certain fox will too. I know it will go perfect with that green mask I got you. You really need to learn to accessorize. Your wardrobe is just sad. Enjoy and see you tonight!_

_S._

Kiara crumpled the note, cursing Sienna before opening the box. She couldn't believe what she was looking at. It was a simple green belly dancer outfit with silver trimmings. Kiara struggled withv how see-through some of the cloth was. Kiara resumed her cursing of Sienna before turning to the mirror and pulling on the outfit. The top felt snug and the pants clung to the curves of her hips and legs. Looking at the mirror, she felt oddly naked. From her waist up, she was revealed, aside from the fabric that covered her chest, or rather pushed it up into her face. Several of her tattoos that she was born with that reveal her weather powers poked out of the clothing or stood in plain sight. There would be no hiding these. The sleeves hung off her shoulders with little see-through veils hanging down over her arms.

The pants almost moved like a skirt from all the extra fabric. There was a veil to go around the front of her face but Kiara left that aside. She was already hidden, no need to suffocate completely in all this fabric. She had another veil and placed over her head as a headdress. Kiara contemplated taking this off and throwing a sheet over and going as a ghost but that would be the worse of two evils. Groaning, she ventured from her room and down to where the girls gather, all excited about tonight's festivities. When Kiara appeared, they all stopped talking, amazed at her appearance. The silence was a bit overwhelming for Kiara, clearing her throat; she led the way to Sienna's.

Kiara was the first to arrive at Sienna's. The house was decorated and food and beverage were set out. Of course, this time, the punch wasn't drugged. Kiara chuckled softly as she walked over to Sienna and Kuronue. "You've made the place look great," she said as she tried to be polite.

"I know! It's perfect, so is your outfit. Aren't I genius?" Sienna said as she nudged her friend.

Kiara rolled her eyes but laughed. "Well you solved my problem but did you have to pick this outfit? I might as well wear nothing at all," she said dryly.

"I wouldn't suggest that, too many demons might get the wrong idea and then we'd have a blood bath," Kuronue said as he chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. Besides, it's not that bad, Kiara. You're just being difficult because you don't want to be here. So stop being lame and go have fun. You can't work all the time," Sienna said as she shooed her friend away. Kiara glared at Sienna before making her way to one of the patios. Perhaps if she was really quiet, no one would notice and she could be left in peace.

Youko's men didn't take long to get there. The idea of spending an evening with the girls without any catch was just what they wanted. After their arrival, the men quickly split off and met with the girls. Youko noted the interaction between Yomi and Kana and made a note to keep an eye on that. He and Yomi were still disagreeing, especially after Youko called him out on his attempted mutiny. Yomi denied it at first but changed his mind and call Youko out on being a love sick fox. Even Youko had to admit that Yomi had a point.

Looking away from his third in command, he walked over to Kuronue and Sienna, who were grabbing something to drink.

"Well, looks like you two know how to throw a party," Youko commented.

"Gee, I wonder where we got the idea from," Sienna said sarcastically.

"Sienna, please, be nice," Kuronue said before turning to Youko. "Having a good time?"

"I would be having a better time if I knew that Kiara had come. She must have stayed behind," Youko said as he looked around the room again.

"What? No, she's here. She wouldn't leave the girls here, alone. Have you looked everywhere? You know she's very good at hiding," Sienna commented as she started to look around the room.

"I did a sweep of the room before coming over here," he said.

"Well then she's not in the room but nearby that she can keep an eye on everyone," Sienna reasoned.

"If she's still here, I'll find her. Might be easier if you tell me what she's wearing," Youko said.

"I'll tell you this, you love her outfit. Good luck Youko, don't hurt her," she said as Kuronue whisked her off to the dance floor. Youko watched his best friend and his mate as the dance within each other's arms. A part of him was jealous that he didn't have what they had but that was only temporary. Determined to find Kiara, he went in search of her.

Kiara really hated her outfit. It didn't do worth of damn to protect her from the wind. She was shivering so much; she thought her teeth would shatter. She pulled the veil that was on her head around her body as she sat and looked up at the starry sky. Even though she was partially frozen, she couldn't help but to admire the beauty of the night, so quiet and peaceful, even if it had the scent of demon blood on it. That was easily ignored. However, the beauty of the stars and quiet couldn't be, even with the music in the background.

"You look cold," a deep voice said from behind her. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"I think I'll live," she said as she kept her eyes on the sky.

Youko came up beside her and sat down, wrapping his arm around her and pulling closer to his body. "I've missed you. I've hated not being able to see you or talking to you. Hell, I've missed you calling me a bastard," he said as he gently nudged her.

Kiara chuckled and shook her head. "Bastard," she said.

"I take it back, I don't miss that," he laughed.

"I get that, so what did you want?" she asked as she finally looked up at him.

"You know what I want but at the moment, I just want to sit here with you. To talk to you and to keep you warm. That outfit can't be very…insulating," he said as he fully looked at her. It took him a couple tries to swallow but eventually, he managed.

Kiara looked at him then her outfit and pulled knees to her chest and covered herself with the veil. "This was something from Sienna; I had nothing else to wear. Somehow, I think her getting me this outfit was part of some scheme," she said as she looked over to the forest in front of them.

"And what scheme is that?" Youko asked, amused.

"Like you don't know, I bet you're in on it," she accused.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said as he tried to feign innocence.

"Lying bastard," she said as she chuckled and moved closer to his warm body.

"There you go again calling me a bastard. Do we need to have another talk about that?" he teased.

"No, I think I'm good for now," she said as she turned back to the stars.

Youko held Kiara, watching her out of the corner of his eye. Even though they were joking and he was still holding, Kiara was still distant mentally. "Stop it!" he yelled after he couldn't take the silence anymore.

Kiara jumped before looking around at whoever Youko had yelled at. "What?" she asked.

"You and this distance that you put between us. Why are you doing it?" he asked a bit annoyed.

Kiara physically moved away from him and looked away. "It's the only way to ease the pain," she said.

"What pain?" he asked.

"The pain of falling in love with you then losing you," she said.

"You don't have to lose me, you're choosing to. I told you, I don't care about your real identity anymore and if you have to care for your sister then I will help you. I'll even stand by your side when you take over for your father. Just stay with me," he reasoned.

"I can't. I have responsibilities that I can't walk away from," she said back, fighting back her tears.

"Are you promised to another demon?" he snapped, jealousy sneaking into his voice.

"If I was smart, I would tell you that I am but, damnit, I love you and I wouldn't do that to you," she snapped back.

Youko felt relieved. That thought had been bouncing around his head since she first told him about her reason for why she couldn't stay with him, but that still left him wondering what was keeping her away from him. Youko pulled her close to him and held her to him even though she tried to move away. "Kiara, for once, please just tell me why you can't stay with me. Help me understand because I don't. Every reason you've given me can be worked through," he said as he held her.

Kiara tried to move away from him but he held her tight to him. In reality it wasn't her sister or her father. It was Kaida. She would never be able to get away from who she really was. As soon as she gave up Kiara, demon world, spirit world, they'd all come for her. Either to claim her life or her title, it wouldn't matter. The only place she would be safe was in living world, where Kaida was unknown and safe to live how she wanted to live.

Youko looked down at her and could see her in her head, trying to figure out what to do. All he could do was wait for her to tell him or turn from him. Kiara thought about Kaida and all the dilemmas that lay ahead of her but she couldn't help but to think about if she confided in Youko. What would happen if she told him who she was? What would he do? Would he still love her or would he be like every other demon who longed for her blood and power?

"What do you think about the three worlds?" she asked him suddenly.

"The three worlds? You mean demon, living, and spirit world?" he asked.

"Yes," she said as she looked up at him.

"I haven't any time to think about humans and their world. They're not worth my time or anyone's for that matter. They're insignificant. Demon world is demon world. It's our home and it never changes. As for spirit world, no demon likes that place. King Enma and his son, they think they can rule us all but using items to intimidate us to be their slaves," he spat out.

"What about Koenma's daughters?" Kiara asked.

"Koenma's daughters? So those rumors are true? Koenma really has daughters?" he asked.

"As far as I know, what do you think about them? Think they are in league with their father?" she asked.

"Everything that has happened to demon world from spirit world has been because of Koenma and his father. I don't know anything that what his daughters have done but it's possible that they're being trained. They're probably spoiled little spirit princess," he said as he looked at her.

"They're demons. His daughters are demons. Their mother was a demon from demon world that fought for the spirit world teams," she said as she allowed the information to come to him.

"Really? So Koenma dallied with a demon. If his girls are working for Koenma against all of us demons then they aren't demons," he said definitively. "Why are you asking me about all of this? Are you telling me you're a princess?"

"No, I'm telling you that before I met you, I used to go to all three worlds. I've seen more than I should. My sister is in living world, in hiding. I hid her there away from our father so that he'll never get his hands on her. As for my trips to spirit world, I have been to their inner most depths of their vaults and seen some of their more prized items. I have been planning to go back to spirit world, got a big heist that I want to do, I'd like you to help me," she said as she looked up at him.

Youko stared at her. She was offering him a chance to join her in a raid but not just any raid, a raid of spirit world vaults. There was no way he could turn this down. His men would skin him alive. Before he answered her, he thought about her questions. He couldn't figure out how the three worlds and the princesses had anything to do with her not being able to stay with him. Unless, she was trying to sidetrack him or she really was one of those princesses. He looked deeper at her, looking for any sign of Enma or Koenma. All he saw was the fiery vixen that fought him and loved him but if she was a princess, then she was alright by him.

"I'd love to assist you. Do you have a specific item in mind or are you just going in and grabbing what you can?" he asked.

"I have a specific item we can talk after this party on all the small details. It's a small group I want going in. We'll be in and out. That castle is heavily guarded and I don't need bloodshed. A lot of my girls would be for that so I'm only taking about two of them. I'd like you and two of your best men," she explained.

Youko nodded, his thoughts about her being a princess slowly being confirmed. "Kuronue would definitely be one of my men that I would take," he explained.

"What about Yomi, you're third-in-command?" she asked.

"You said no bloodshed, right? Well then Yomi is out of the question," he explained.

Kiara nodded as she looked away. Youko watched her carefully. He couldn't shake the feeling that her talking about the princesses had something to do with her or really confirmed her identity. He was about to ask her out right if she was one when the doors opened and Sienna and Kuronue called out to them. "Hey popsicles, get in and dance and have fun or we'll take over the groups!" Sienna called to them, clearly having way too much to drink.

Kiara chuckled as she stood up and turned towards Sienna and started towards them. Youko grabbed her arm to stop her and pulled her close to whisper in her ear. "You know, if you were a princess, you'd still be my vixen. You'd still be my mate, that will never change because I know who you really are, Kiara," he said as he kissed her cheek and started towards the happy couple.

Kiara stood frozen. He had to have figured it out for him to make a comment like that. All common sense told her to high tail it right out of there and get to safety but she couldn't do it. His words about how she was still his mate rung in her ear. Perhaps he could accept her as Kaida and perhaps he could protect her. Kiara stayed in her thoughts, unaware that all three of them had been yelling at her. She quickly caught up to Youko and walked in with her friends. The party was in full swing. Everyone was dancing and having a good time. Kiara wasn't aware that she missed so much. Kiara wanted to go off to talk to Sienna but Youko grabbed her and pulled her to the dance floor.

"Oh no! I'm not letting you got off with drunken Sienna to plot and scheme," he teased.

Kiara chuckled and shook her head. "I would never even think of doing such a thing," she teased back.

"Sorry but your track record is saying otherwise," he laughed as he spun her around.

Kiara laughed as she danced with Youko. It's true, in the past she would trick him as much as she could but her reason for needing to see Sienna had nothing to do with trickery. She was going to make a decision and she needed her best friend to be the one to help her with it. Kiara continued to dance with Youko until the song ended. He was preparing to continue their dance for the next song but Kiara simply stepped on her tippy toes and kissed him before moving out of his reach. "I'm sorry but I really do need to see her and trust me, you want me to see her as well," she said before walking off in search of Sienna.

Youko watched her walk away, confusion still written clear on his face. He didn't know what she was planning but if she thought that he'd want her to talk to Sienna then he guess he did. Kiara grabbed Sienna and took her out of the dance area and into a different room. Kuronue walked over to Youko and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Looks like you two are have a good time," he commented.

"I think we are and Kiara's got a great raid planned for both of our gangs," he said as he moved out of the dance floor.

"Really and what's that?" he asked.

"King Enma's castle," Youko said, pride clear in his voice.

"You have to be joking? There is no way we can go in there and get out alive," he said as the shock rang clear on his face.

"Nope, she's taking two of her girls and she wants me and two of my best men. She said she's been in and out of that place multiple times and that there is something she wants. So I nominated you. Sienna is coming along. We leave Yomi here. Kiara doesn't want a bloodbath," he explained.

"With Yomi, that is guaranteed. It would be a good idea to not even mention it to him," Kuronue said as he eyed the demon with one of the women.

"I'm not a fool; he'd follow and take the castle by storm. Don't worry, I have a plan for Yomi," he said before looking around. "Where are the girls?"

"I don't know. They were just here," Kuronue said as he moved around the room.

Kiara closed the door behind her as she and Sienna stood in a small office. "What's going on, girl? Why are we in here instead of my awesome party?" Sienna asked, a bit drunk.

"He knows, Sienna. I think Youko knows that I'm Kaida," she whispered.

Sienna sobered immediately. "He what?" she asked softly.

"I think he finally figured it out. Something he said to me," she said, her mind still swimming with his words.

"What did he say, Kaida?" she asked, a bit panicked.

"He said that if I was a princess that I'd still be his vixen and I'd still be his mate. As if my being princess to spirit world meant nothing," she said as she walked over to take a seat.

"He didn't exactly say that you were a princess, just that if you might be. So he doesn't really know," she said as she calmed down a bit. "Is he still pushing to be your mate?"

"Yes and…"she said as she trailed off, looking away from Sienna.

"What? What are you thinking about doing now, Kaida?" Sienna asked.

"I going to tell him," Kiara said.

"Tell Youko what, exactly?" Sienna said as she leaned closer to Kiara.

"I'm going to tell him that I'm Kaida," she said.

"Why would you do that? Do you honestly think he's trustworthy enough to keep something like that? I thought we were going to keep that secret no matter what," she said as she looked at Kiara.

"I love him, Sienna," Kiara explained.

"For now. You love him for now and in two years time, you'll forget all about him when you return to Nakita in living world," Sienna clarified.

"Maybe I don't want to go back to living world. Maybe I want to throw Kaida away and stay as Kiara," she said as she pinned her friend with a serious look.

"Kai, when did you decide this?" Sienna asked as she slowly approached her friend.

"When I was outside with Youko, I was thinking about what would happen if Kaida Daioh no longer existed. Don't you see Sienna; I'd be free for once in my life. I could be who I wanted to be, be with whom I wanted and do whatever I wanted," Kiara reasoned.

"Koenma would never let you. You know that. Once it's out that Kiara is the heir to spirit world, Koenma would send the SDF straight for you. He would never leave you in peace. You know this," Sienna said as she took her friend in her arms.

Kiara had to agree with what Sienna was saying because she knew in her heart that she was right. If Koenma ever knew the truth, he would come for her. He wouldn't stop until she was back in living world or in jail. "For once, Sienna, I'm going to do what I want and dad can send whoever he wants after me, I'll send them all back to him in one piece or another. I don't want to leave demon world. I don't want to leave you and I don't want to leave Youko. I can bring Nakita here. We can train her and when she's old enough she can decide where she wants to be," Kiara said as she started for the door.

"I'll stand beside you, no matter what Kai, but please keep in mind the dangerous game you're about to enter because, I'm not sure you can come back from this," Sienna cautioned. For once it was Sienna who was choosing to be rational. Sienna was happy for her friend but she was worried as well. They were changing from the original plan, a plan they swore to stick to for three years, now Kiara was throwing it away for a chance at happiness.

"As long as I have you, it's a game I'll always win," Kiara said as she embraced her friend.

Sienna held her friend tightly, she'd never had a bond like she had with Kiara and she knew that she never would again. "Ok, so when are you going to tell him the big news?" Sienna asked.

"Oh, you'll see soon enough," she said as she moved away and headed for the door.

"Hey! You're not allowed to play those suspense games on me! Only on your fox!" Sienna laughed as she followed Kiara.

"See, I told you that you're always scheming with Sienna," said the tall fox about a few feet down the hall, beside him stood Kuronue, who chuckled at Sienna's outburst.

"Well duh, fox boy. It's my only true source of entertainment," Sienna teased as she immediately went into Kiara's arms. "I'm sorry; Kuronue, but I've replaced you. I belong to Kiara now."

"What do you mean 'now'? You've always belong to me," Kiara teased as she held her.

"That's not fair, Kiara. Can't you share? Even just a little?" Kuronue whined.

"Well…ok. We'll split her 80/20. I get her 80% of the time and the rest is yours," she teased before Youko pulled her away from Sienna. "YOUKO! PUT ME DOWN!"

"Nope, because that means I only get you 20% of the time and I'm not ok with that. So Kuronue and I will let you two have the 20% instead," he said as she held Kiara close to him.

Kuronue and Sienna laughed as Kuronue pulled Sienna into his arms. "Youko, my man, I like the way you think," he said.

Youko winked at Kuronue as he started back towards the ball. He had place Kiara back down and was gently leading her with him. "Ok, so what were you two scheming about this time?" he asked. Kiara looked up at him then back at Sienna and chuckled. "Ok, I don't like that. Why do I have a feeling that whatever you're planning is going to hurt?"

Kiara chuckled and shook her head. "You'll find out soon enough, Youko," she said before he took her into his arms and they started to dance around the room.

The two of them danced throughout the night. They socialized with the members of their groups. Kiara made a point of introducing all of her girls properly to Youko. It was then that Youko understood how Kiara truly was the better thief. Every woman had a story to share about Kiara and how she saved them, each one more loyal than the next. Every girl would give their life for Kiara and wouldn't even blink about it. The women never cared about their treasure. He could hear it in their voices when they spoke of their raids instead it was about their loyalty to Kiara and each other. Youko didn't have this with his men. His men would up and leave him if they thought they had a chance to get a decent amount of treasure to be someone. There wasn't any true loyalty. Even he questioned his own loyalty to his men where Kiara's was absolute.

After Kiara introduced him to a young neko, he guided her back to the banister they were at earlier. The sun was attempting to creep over the tree tops, to signal morning. Kiara gave him a questioning look as he guided to the banister and sat her down. "You win, Kiara. You're the better thief," he said as he got down on his knees before her.

Kiara stared at him for a moment, confused. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"You have something that I will never have with my men, loyalty. No matter what happens, your girls will always be there for you. My men would abandon me at the first chance they thought I wasn't strong enough to lead them anymore," he explained.

Kiara's eyes softened as she listened to him. She gently placed her hands on either side of his face and held his gaze. "Your men are loyal to you Youko. They wouldn't risk their lives for you if they didn't. Not even if they feared you. You are just as good a thief as I am. There never was a competition," she explained.

Youko kept her gaze for a few more moments before pulling her into his embrace and placing his lips to hers. She really was an amazing vixen and somehow he had to have her agree to be his mate, no matter what. "You say that, love, but every fox knows that he will always be second best compared to his vixen," he said as he pulled away and smiled at her.

Kiara chuckled softly before shaking her head. "Youko, I need you to do me a favor," she said as she gave him a serious look.

"Anything," he said without hesitation.

"Ask me again," she said plainly.

Youko gave her a confused look for a moment before understanding what she meant. "Kiara, will you please be my mate?" he asked, holding his breath.

"Yes."

**Le gasp! Kiara is taking the plunge! Yes, you heard it right! Out with Kaida and in with Kiara soon-to-be Mrs. Youko Kurama! And that's the end folks! Hope you enjoyed Love and-**

**Kiara: Hold on a second, we're not done here. Stop being lazy and finish my story. **

**Me: But...I did?**

**Kiara: Oh honey, you haven't even scratched the surface and my life with Youko. We're just getting warmed up. Let's face it, woman, he still doesn't know who I really am. Also, don't forget about Fire and Roses?**

**Me: SHHHHHHH! They weren't supposed to know about that yet.**

**Kiara: Why not? You just claimed that my story is over.**

**Me: -_- You know Kiara, some days, I hate you.**

**Kiara: Hey, I didn't get to be Queen of Thieves just by looking cute! **

**Me: Sure you didn't. Ok well since Miss High and Mighty has decided I'm not done! We shall have to see what happens next. So please rate and let us know. Thanks for reading!  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**I'm back with a brand new chapter! I'm going to be really good about cranking out these chapters only because there is something BIG around the corner. BTW...if any of my readers are good at Fanart, can you please message me? I'm trying to find someone with skills that surpass my stick figures. Thanks in advance!****! Enjoy this new chapter!**

Chapter 15: Something Old

Youko was elated. Kiara had finally agreed to be his mate. He was prepared for this to be a long drawn out battle but now that he had her, he was completed. He had finally obtained his other half. He quickly wrapped her into his arms and kissed her. He didn't have words for he, all he had was his actions. His lips proclaimed his love for her, promising to be a faithful and loving mate. When his lips were satisfied that they had said all that was need, he stepped back from her and smiled.

"So tomorrow we are to be officially mated?" he asked as he acted like a kit who just found out he was going on a family vacation.

"No," she said as she smiled at him.

"No? Why not?" he asked disappointed.

"On the day we are mated, I want to give you a gift but I need time to get it ready. Can you give me some time for that?" she asked.

"As long as we still can be mated, you can take as much time as you want," he said hoping he can keep his words.

Kiara chuckled as she stood and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. "Trust me, you'll like what I'll have for you and besides, I want to wait until after we storm Koenma's castle," she said as she tried to lift his spirits.

Youko held her close and nodded. If those were her reasons for waiting then he was fine with that. In fact, it gave him time to get a present together for her and he knew exactly what it was going to be. "Of course, I understand completely," he said as he looked at the sunrise before leading Kiara back inside. "Perhaps we should head home and get some rest. It's been a long and great night."

Kiara nodded as she rested her head on his shoulder. She was exhausted. All she wanted to do was crawl into her bed and sleep the day away. Youko could sense her exhaustion and picked her up and let her curl into his arms. He kissed her forehead before walking over to Kuronue. "Got a place for us to crash?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Kuronue looked at Youko then to the sleeping Kiara and nodded. "How about the guest room that you guys built?" he asked with a chuckle then a yawn. It seemed the bat demon too was ready for bed.

Youko nodded as he carried Kiara up the stairs to the guest room and placed her on the bed. He quickly covered her with the warm blanket and let her curl into the pillow before stepping out. It didn't take him long to find Kuronue and Sienna as they headed for their room. "Kuronue, Sienna, wait up," he said as he caught up to them.

"What is it Youko? We're heading to bed," Sienna whined.

"I need to talk to you guys, it's important and can't wait," he said as he eyed them.

Both of them looked at each other before following Youko into their office. "What is it, my man?" Kuronue asked.

"Kiara, she finally said yes. She's going to be my mate," he said with enthusiasm.

"That's great!" Kuronue said as he clapped Youko on the back.

"I didn't think she'd do that tonight but I'm glad for the both of you," she said as she smiled up at him. "However, this could have waited until later."

"That wasn't why I needed to talk to you guys, the next part is," he said before going into detail about his gift to Kiara. "So what do you think? Think she'll like it?"

"She'll love it! And don't worry; we'll help as much as we can," Kuronue said as he smirked to Sienna. "Think you can run interference?"

"Are kidding? If anyone can keep Kiara distracted, it's me!" she said as she agreed with the plan.

Once they finished planning, the two bat demons retired to their room and Youko returned to Kiara. He walked quietly into the room and saw Kiara curled up in a ball on the bed. Youko smiled down at her as he crawled in beside her. He half expected her to wake up and kick him out but instead she curled around him, placing her head on his shoulder. He held her close and noticed that the mask was still on her. He wondered if she would ever tell him who she really was but that didn't matter. Youko kept his grip on her as he started to imagine his near future. A smile came to his face as he drifted off to sleep.

Kiara woke up just as the sun was setting. She tried to stretch her body out but found herself held tightly in Youko's arms. His face was relaxed and at peace as he slept. She couldn't help but to admire his face, how the sharp lines of his face seemed to melt away as he dreamed. She chuckled softly as she pulled herself out of his arms and went to clean herself up. When she was ready to face the world, she left the room and headed towards the kitchen. Sure enough, Sienna was there fixing herself something to eat. Kiara smiled at her as she swiped a bite of her food.

"Back off, thief!" Sienna said as she tried to protect her food.

"Well, that is my profession," Kiara teased as she started to make herself a sandwich.

"Yeah, yeah, so I hear congratulations are in order," Sienna said as she smiled at her friend.

"Really? You're ok with this?" Kiara asked, surprised.

"Of course, it means I get to keep you now," Sienna teased.

Kiara rolled her eyes as she looked over at Sienna. "I'm going back to living world," she informed her.

Sienna stared at Kiara, confusion clear on her face. "I'm sorry; I think I'm hearing things. I thought you just said you were going to living world after you agreed to be Youko's mate," she said hoping that her hears were just playing a trick on her.

"Nope, you heard me correctly," she said as she smiled at her friend.

"So you're playing Youko?" she asked.

"No, I'm not going back permanently. I'm going back to see the midget. I need to give her a heads up on what's going on. This affects her life just like it affects mine and it's not fair to leave her in the dark," Kiara explained.

"Ok, now that makes sense. Don't do that. You're only allowed to play mind games on Youko and Youko only. Stupid clever foxes," Sienna complained.

"Keep insulting me and I won't take you with me," Kiara threatened as she cleaned her dish.

"You wouldn't really leave me behind, would you?" Sienna asked, with giant puppy dog eyes.

"I will if you keep complaining," Kiara laughed as she turned to head out. "I want to leave as soon as you're ready. I need you to be on look out while I talk to the squirt. The old woman would give me hell if she knew I was there, breaking her rules."

"Don't worry, you can count on me to keep grandma sleeping," Sienna said as she saluted Kiara.

"Don't kill her!" Kiara warned.

"Oh please, she'd kill me before I'd even get a chance to threaten her. That woman is just scary. How you survived with her all these years, I'll never know," Sienna commented as she left the kitchen to get ready for their trip.

As Kiara left Sienna and returned to her room, she heard the shower running and decided to venture in. "Are you alive and kicking?" she asked as she stepped into the steamy room.

Youko chuckled as he stuck his head out. "I'm alive; I wouldn't say I'm kicking quite yet. Care to join me?" he asked as she smiled at her.

Kiara chuckled as she walked over to him and kissed his cheek. "I would if I didn't already have a shower this evening, besides, Sienna and I are going out," she said as she backed away.

"Going out? Where to?" he asked, his new protective instinct filling him.

Kiara chuckled as she walked closer to him. "Don't worry. Sienna and I are going to living world to see my sister. I need to talk to her," she explained.

"You didn't want me to come along?" he asked as he walked out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist.

"It's not that, Youko. She knows Sienna and is comfortable with her. Remember she's just a kit. I want to explain the situation to her and let her decide what she wants to do with her life. That's all I want to do. If she wants to meet you then I'll take her to meet you but it has to be her decision. That's all, love," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Youko held her waist to him and looked down at her for a moment before nodding. "Did I mention that you'll make a great mother one day?" he said as he gave her a smile and kissed her.

She chuckled softly and kissed him back. "I do believe that you have mentioned that before," she said, a bit unsure by his comment. "So what will you and Kuronue do while we're away?"

"I have some things to take care of but perhaps I'll visit Katsuo," he said a bit distant.

"Who is Katsuo?" she asked.

"Someone I've known my entire life. Perhaps one day I'll introduce you to him. If he'll let me," he said as more of an afterthought. "I'll take Kuronue with me, it'll take the two of us to track him down. He's cunning like that."

Kiara nodded as she walked back into the room and collected her outfit from the night before. "Then we'll see each other when we return?" she asked, certain that she left nothing behind.

"I'll meet you at the hot spring," he said as he walked over and kissed her possessively on her lips. For a few moments, he held his soon-to-be mate in his arms, his lips expressing his claim on her, before pulling away. "You better be careful. I mean it Kiara, not one hair out of place."

Kiara was a bit taken away by the kiss and didn't want it to end but Youko wanted her to know that her safety was number one in his book, and his was in hers. "As long as you do the same. If anything happens to you, I will severely hurt you," she threatened.

Youko chuckled and nodded. "Duly noted, love. Go, have your fun with Sienna. I'll see you when you come home," he said as he kissed her one more time, then turned away and started to dress. Kiara watched Youko for a moment before turning away and heading out to see Sienna. Sienna was waiting at the foot of the stairs, all geared up and ready to face the living world. Kiara nodded at her and they both took off towards the hidden tunnel.

Youko watched from the window as the girls ran off into demon world. A part of him wanted to follow to make sure she remained safe but he knew that she would be safe. As Youko finished dressing, a knock came at his door. Youko didn't need to turn around to know that Kuronue was standing there behind him.

"So fox man, what are we going to do while the girls are away? Get started on your project?" he suggested with a nudge.

"We're going to tell Katsuo that I'm getting a mate," he said as he finally turned to see his friend's shock.

"You have to be kidding! You swore you'd never see him again, not after his last stunt," Kuronue argued.

"Yeah but now I can tell him how wrong he is. If nothing else, I'll get that satisfaction," Youko said as he headed towards the exit.

"I don't understand why you even care let alone want to tell him about Kiara. Why does it even matter?" he asked as he followed Youko out of his home.

"I have to tell him. I have to prove him wrong," Youko said as he took off in the last known direction of Katsuo.

"You want his approval, don't you?" Kuronue asked as he finally understood.

Youko stopped and turned to Kuronue. "Yes. Even though I hate the bastard, I need his approval," he confessed.

"You know you won't get it. He will just torment you some more, just like he always does," Kuronue reasoned.

"I don't care. I can't move into my future with him in my past," he explained.

"You **can't** or you **won't**?" Kuronue challenged.

Youko watched Kuronue for a moment, a smile of the fox within showing. "You would have made a great fox, Kuronue. I won't move forward until I deal with my past," Youko said as he took off again.

"Then like always, I am at your side, making sure you get out in one piece," Kuronue laughed before following close behind Youko.

Kiara and Sienna had to work in silence as they walked around Genkai's dojo. Kiara knew that the old woman's hearing was perfect, she bet she could even hear an ant sneeze. As they moved into the dojo, they left every door behind them open, in case a quick getaway was needed. Kiara pointed to where Sienna should stand guard over Genkai, to make sure she didn't wake up. When Sienna was in position, Kiara worked her way to Nakita's room.

Kiara slipped quietly into her sister's room and looked down at her sleeping form. She had wrapped herself in her blankets, almost as if she was cocooning herself. Kiara chuckled as she knelt down beside her sister and took her mask off. Her eyes kept on her sister's sleeping gaze as she gently pushed her little sister's bangs aside. It was then that Kaida's heart broke. She had missed her sister completely. She hated knowing that once there conversation was over, that she'd have to leave her sister behind and return to demon world. She could only hope that Nakita would join her.

Taking a deep breath, she gently shook her sister. "Kita, wake up," she whispered.

Nakita struggled to open her eyes, feeling more content to stay asleep but she knew the voice that spoke to her. Her sister had returned. "Kai? Kaida, is that you?" she asked as she fought her sleep.

"Yes, sweetie. Can you wake up a bit more? We got to talk for a moment," she said as she urged her sister to wake up some more.

Nakita sat up and rubbed at her eyes before looking fully at her sister and throwing herself into her arms. "You're back! Have you come to take me with you?"

Youko and Kuronue had gone from village to village asking about Katsuo and every time they got the same answer: he was there then moved on to the next village. It seemed that Katsuo knew they were coming and was always on the move. Youko knew better than to underestimate Katsuo and this time, he'd get the jump on him. Youko moved straight through the next town and into a small village of kitsunes.

Youko went around, asking all the males if they had seen Katsuo. Most turned him away but an elderly man knew of Katsuo and where he was. He had arrived in the village not five minutes prior to Youko's arrival. Youko paid the kitsune and headed straight to Katsuo. Kuronue watched Youko carefully. The entire time they searched for the elusive demon, Kuronue was on guard. He didn't trust Katsuo and now that they finally caught up to him, he was even more cautious.

Youko headed for a small hut, just on the outskirts of the village, it was there that he saw the same silver mane that he had. Katsuo stood from his crouched position and turned to look at Youko and Kuronue. Youko looked at the mirror image of himself. Katsuo stood just an inch taller than him but he still had the same piercing cold gold eyes, the eyes of his father.

"Hi father," he said casually.

Kaida held Nakita for what felt like hours before holding her away. "No, I'm not here to take you away. We need to talk," she said as she sat beside her.

Nakita looked up at her sister, her short mousy brown hair hanging in waves at her shoulders. Clearly it had been cut since the last time she saw her sister, her brown eyes pleading with Kaida for an explanation. "What do we need to talk about?" she asked worry filling her.

"I need to tell you what's happening. Plans have changed and you have a very important decision to make, a life changing decision. This is only between us; you're not to discuss this with Genkai. Do you understand?" she asked as she looked her sister straight in the eyes.

"I understand. What's changed?" she asked waiting for the whole story.

"In two years time, I will not return to living world. I'm going to remain in demon world. I'm renouncing my throne to spirit world. I'm going to remain a thief," Kaida explained.

Youko stared at the cold eyes of his father, awaiting his response. "What? No greeting for your son?" he challenged.

"Why are you following me, Youko?" he bit out, his voice as cold and harsh as he remembered.

"I want to have a word with you, father," Youko said simply as he took a seat. "So get comfy, we've got a long conversation ahead of us."

Katsuo glared at Youko, clearly, he took offense to his own son ordering him around. "I've heard rumors, Youko, that you've been very busy. Tell me; is the thieving life all that it's cracked up to be?" Katsuo challenged as he took a seat across from his son.

"Very profitable, father, a promising career choice for me," Youko retorted. Kuronue followed suit and took a seat next to Youko. This was clearly going to be a battle of wits and on a level that Kuronue couldn't hope to compete on. For now, he was just the muscle, nothing more.

"A waste. My son seems to think it's a great idea to waste his life," Katsuo said as he smirked at him. "Apparently, you didn't inherit the family fighting spirit. Instead, you choose stealth and sneaking around. Didn't realize my son didn't have a backbone."

Youko gritted his teeth. He never understood why his father hated him but he sure as hell was going to find out. "Yes because everything can be solved with fangs and claws. I forgot the barbaric nature that is your way of life. Blood and slaughter, that's all you ever cared about, you just loved to get your hands dirty," Youko threw back at his father. "And yet, who is the one running away and who is doing the chasing. Perhaps I got my cowardice from you, if you claim that I am a coward."

Katsuo clenched his fists, preparing to attack if provoked again. "What do you want, Youko? I don't have time for your childish mind games," Katsuo snapped.

"I want mother's rose necklace. The one you made her. I want it," Youko said simply.

"So, now you'll steal from your own father? Have you no low?" Katsuo asked.

"I'm not stealing it because you will give it to me freely," Youko explained.

"And why should I do that? What do you intend to do with it?"

"I plan to give it to my future mate," Youko said as he watched for his father's reaction.

Nakita's eyes held the look of betrayal as she looked at her sister. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You're giving up everything? Why? Why are you planning on staying in demon world?" Nakita pleaded for her answers. Tears stung at her eyes, her sister was leaving for good.

"I found someone, Kita. I found my mate and I love him so much that I'm willing to give up my throne to be with him," Kaida confessed.

"So you're throwing me away for a guy?" Kita shouted, fury and pain clear on her face.

"Shh…no, Kita, I'm not throwing you away. That's why I came here. I'm giving you the choice. With me giving the throne up, it'll be all yours. The choice I'm giving you is this, come and living with me in demon world or stay and be the crown princess to spirit world. The choice is totally up to you and either way, I will still love you with all that I am. There is no wrong answer here, Kita. It's your life, you're old enough to decide what you want to do with it," Kaida said as she looked her sister hard in the eyes.

"A mate? Are you insane, Youko? What have I told you about them?" Katsuo shouted at Youko, disappointment clear on his face.

"I don't care what you said about them. I'm not a coward. I love her and she will be mine," Youko said as he defended his actions.

"Until she's killed and you are left as nothing but a cold and empty shell," Katsuo said.

"You were that even when mother was still alive. Her death only added to the emptiness that was you. Some days, I wonder if her death meant anything to you at all. You never changed. Honestly, what mother saw in you, I'll never know," Youko growled at his father.

Katsuo was across the small space and had his hand wrapped around his son's throat in a blink of an eye. "Your mother was my life! Don't you dare think that her death meant nothing to me. I died with her! I would have taken my life just to be with her but she made me swear to stay and raise you!" Katsuo said as he squeezed his son's throat.

Kuronue quickly wrapped his arms around Katsuo's arm and tried to pry him off of Youko. Youko didn't struggle against his father's strength. He just glared up at the cold eyes as he moved his foot between his father and himself and pushed him away. "You're not the only one who lost her. I lost her too," Youko said shouted back.

"You were and infant, you don't even remember her," Katsuo snapped.

"You know, you only get angry when you know you're losing. I do remember mom. I remember her gentleness. I remember how she hated fighting. She just wanted to stay home with me and you hated me because of that," Youko threw at him.

"I did hate you. You were all she wanted and once she had you, you consumed her life," Katsuo confessed.

"You were jealous of your own son? An infant who was incapable of caring for himself?" Youko asked.

"Yes, like I said, you're mother was my life. I was content with the idea of it being just her and I for the rest of our lives but she had to have you. She begged me and like the sap that I was, I gave in," Katsuo said as he took a seat.

"He's your son! Can you honestly say that you don't care about him? That from the moment he was born, that you didn't love him?" Kuronue challenged, appalled by what he had heard.

"For a moment, I guess you could say that I care about him. I had no idea what to do with him but I would protect and feed him. I don't know if I did it because he was my son or because she expected that of me. Once she died, I didn't see him as my son anymore. He was just a kit that I had to teach to survive the world. Once I was sure he could do that, I sent him away. His spirit was too much like hers," Katsuo said as he looked at Youko. "You were always too much like her. You may look like me but you acted just like Inari. You have her mind. I hated you for reminding me of my pain."

"That wasn't my fault. I am who I am. I'm half mom and I'm half you, so get over it, father," Youko said as he finally understood. "You never gave me a chance. You never gave me the chance to love you, to help fill this void, this pain that you have from mom's death. You couldn't let me do that. I needed my father and all I got was a cold heartless bastard. Why couldn't you just be my father?"

"How can you give up spirit world? How can you give up father? I'm sure that in time he'll welcome us home. He has to, we're his daughters," Nakita pleaded.

"Kita, I gave up on father. I know you haven't had the chance to know him but I did and for that time, he was my hero. I loved father more than anything in the three worlds. I needed him but he turned his back on me. The first sign of pain and he threw me away like our years together meant nothing. I will never forget that. I cried, for days, for father to come and hold me. I screamed for him over and over again and all I had was Togoro and Genkai. They were the only ones to answer my screams of pain, not father. He turned his back on me so now I'm turning my back on him and spirit world," Kaida explained.

"Even grandpa?" Nakita asked.

"Grandpa could have reversed father's order but he didn't so as far as I'm concerned, spirit world can go to hell. I'm done with them all. It's time for me to live my life and I found someone to share it with me. The question is, will you join me as well or return to spirit world? Either way sweetie, it's up to you," Kaida said as she stood back.

Nakita looked at her sister then hung her head. She hadn't been hurt by Koenma. She hadn't felt the sting of abandonment like Kaida but still she wished that she could have had those memories. To have know her mother and father and spent time with them, growing with them. Instead she had her sister and Genkai. Though Genkai was tough and hard, she tried very hard to be kind and gentle. She tried to be a mother to them both, to make up for their losses, though Kaida's losses were far greater than Nakita's. Kaida had lost not just a mother and a father but a father figure as well.

Nakita looked back to Kaida, who sat there patiently awaiting an answer. "Can I have time to think about it?" she asked, hopeful.

Kaida smiled at her sister and hugged her. "Of course you can. This is a big decision that you have to make and one that shouldn't be taking lightly. I'll come back in a week's time for your answer. Is that enough time?" she asked.

Nakita nodded. It would have to be. "I'll see you in a week's time then," she said as she held onto her sister.

"Just keep in mind, Nakita, that no matter what you decide, I will always love you and will always be there for you. Even if it's in secret," she said as she winked and put her mask back on. "And now for my next trick, getting out of here without Genkai knowing I was here."

"Can I meet him? When you come back? Can I meet the guy you want to mate with?" Nakita asked before her sister disappeared into the night.

"Youko? You want to meet Youko?" Kaida asked a bit surprised.

"Yes. If I have to consider living with you then I have to consider living with him as well," Nakita reasoned.

Kaida thought for a moment before nodding. "I'll bring Youko with me when I come for your answer," she said as she kissed her sister's forehead. "Now get to sleep. Who knows what nightmares Genkai has waiting for you in the morning."

Nakita chuckled as she hugged her sister one last time and watched her disappear out into the hall. Kaida looked back at her sister for a moment before making her way back to Sienna. Sienna kept her eyes glued on Genkai, making sure that she didn't move, so naturally she jumped when Kiara tapped her shoulder. "Give a girl a warning next time," she whispered at Kiara.

Kiara chuckled as she pointed towards the exit. "Let's get home to our men," she said and headed out into the night.

Katsuo kept his eyes on the ground. He couldn't ever tell Youko how he truly felt about him. It was better if his son hated him. After all, he hated himself. He had always believed that it was his fault that Youko grew up without a mother and why he lost his mate. If only he didn't drag her to that fight, she would still be with him now. "What is her name?" Katsuo finally asked.

"What?" Youko asked, confused.

"The woman that you intend to mate. She is a kitsune, right?" he asked.

"Kiara. Her name is Kiara and yes she's a vixen," Youko said slowly, curious to his father's change of tone.

"Kiara, interesting name. How did you meet her?" he asked.

"She out foxed him on more than one occasion. He's still a bit sore about that, actually," Kuronue volunteered before backing away from Youko's glare. "Sorry, my man."

"She out foxed you, huh? Even with all the tricks and games I taught you, she still got the better of you. I think I might like her. She sounds like she'll give you a run for your money," he chuckled.

"If you mean the head ache I get every time we play who's the better thief then yes," Youko said as he took a seat, a spark of hope showing in his eyes. "So can I have mom's necklace?"

Katsuo stared at Youko a moment before pulling a simple gold necklace from around his necks and looking down at it. "You're mother probably would have liked her as well. You're mother used to do the same thing. I guess the saying is true, 'Like father, like son'. We're both suckers. I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, Youko, because if you lose her, you'll be just like me," he said as he finally looked at his son. "Be absolutely sure that she is the one that you want because you will never find another vixen to replace her."

"I'm certain, without a doubt, she is my one true mate," Youko said without a single moment of hesitation.

"You can have the necklace on one condition," Katsuo said as he held the necklace tightly in his hand.

"And what's that?" Youko asked, knowing full well that his father would have a catch.

"I want to meet her," he said as he kept his gaze on his son.

Sienna watched Kiara as they exited the tunnel into demon world. She seemed to be deep in thought the entire trip and barely spoke to her. "What's up, Princess?" she asked.

"Kita wants to meet Youko," Kiara said as she looked up at Sienna.

"Well that's good, right? It means she's willing to come join us in demon world," Sienna said a bit hopeful.

"I don't know. Maybe but she said she wanted to meet him before she gives me her answer," Kiara said as they took off into the forest.

"I'm sure she'll join us. We're awesome," Sienna said as she kept pace with Kiara.

"Well there's no doubt about that. Anyway, I'm going to meet up with Youko at the springs. I'm sure you're eager to see Kuronue, as always," Kiara teased.

Sienna stuck her tongue out but laughed at Kiara. "Don't worry, Miss Princess, you'll be in my position soon enough and payback is so much fun," Sienna teased.

"I'm sure you'll have your fun but not just yet. I'll see you tomorrow. There's much to plan for," Kiara said as she took off towards the hot springs.

"Indeed there is, Kiara, indeed there is," Sienna whispered before heading back to her home.

"You want to meet Kiara. Now don't get me wrong but that just sounds a bit strange coming from you, father," Youko said as he eyed his father.

"Don't play dumb with me, Youko. I know you want my approval. How can you get that if I don't meet her?" Katsuo asked as he smirked at his son.

"Or try to scare her off," Kuronue whispered.

Both Youko and Katsuo glared at Kuronue, making him shrink away. "That aside, when would you want to meet her?" Youko asked as he turned back to Katsuo.

"I'll be there, at your mating ceremony," Katsuo said as he tossed Youko the necklace. "And I expect her to be wearing that."

Youko caught the necklace and looked at Katsuo, shock clear on his face. "You'll be at the ceremony?" Youko asked.

"Of course, I will see you then," Katsuo said as he turned and walked away.

Kuronue watched Katsuo as he slowly disappeared into the woods. "Does he realize that he doesn't know when the mating ceremony will be?" Kuronue asked.

"Probably but let's not remind him. Personally, his reason for why he wants to meet Kiara is concerning to me. It's obvious that there was another reason why he wanted to see her then what he said," Youko said as he looked down at the necklace before heading back towards their hideout. "He's got something up his sleeve. He's a cunning old fox."

"Just like you. Oh well, once you and Kiara are mated, it won't matter anymore," Kuronue said as he followed Youko.

Youko nodded but his father's words still bounced around in his head. "Let's get back. I'm sure the girls are already home," he said as he took off at full speed.

Kuronue followed, keeping an eye on his friend. "So when are we getting started on your project?" he asked as he followed.

"Tomorrow, tonight I want to be with Kiara alone. Sienna needs to keep her busy. It should only take about a day to finish," Youko said as the entered into their territory.

"I'll give Sienna the heads up. You have your fun with Kiara. Do you need a chaperone?" Kuronue teased.

"I think it's you and Sienna that are in need of chaperones," Youko said as he turned towards the springs. "I'll meet you tomorrow at sunup. Be ready to work."

"Not too early," Kuronue said but already knew the answer.

Youko ignored Kuronue and hurried to the springs, hoping that he'd beat Kiara there, but she was already there. He stood in the tree and looked down at Kiara as she rested against the side of the pool. Unlike last time, he was now looking at her as his beautiful mate, enjoying the warmth of the water that clung to her skin. "Did you have a nice visit with your sister?" he asked as he jumped down beside her.

Kiara opened one eye to look up at him and smiled. "It's always a nice visit when I see my sister. Enjoy your visit with Katsuo?" she asked as she waited for him to join her.

Youko quickly undressed and slid in next to her, his arms immediately pulling her body to his. He had to fight his urges to claim her, as her soft body fit perfectly with his. Her hair was pulled high on her head, to avoid getting wet but that left her neck wide open for him, an invitation that he had to resist. "I wouldn't say that. I would say that it was, enlightening," he said as he nuzzled her neck, breathing in her skin.

Kiara purred as she nuzzled the top of his head. Her body melting into his hands, enjoying how he felt on her. "Care to elaborate?" she asked as her brain attempted to stay in control.

Youko was lost for a moment, enjoying how she felt when she asked him a question. Knowing that she'd kill him if he tried anything…yet, he placed his hands on her waist and let his head fall back, wishing the water was a little bit cooler. "He's as difficult as ever but I guess you can say we had a bit of a heart-to-heart and I got what I wanted from him. However, like always, it came with a catch," he said as he stared at the night sky.

Kiara chuckled as Youko tried to get his body under control. For them both, this seemed to be a difficult task but she knew that they both could handle it. Kiara smiled down at him before laying her head on his chest and relaxing against him. "What's the catch?" she asked.

"He wants to meet you," he said as one of his hands began to stroke her back. "At our mating ceremony."

"Is that such a bad thing?" she asked as she lifted her head to look at him.

"I guess not. I just don't want him to scare you off. He's a pretty scary guy," he said as he looked down at her.

"If you can't scare me then I doubt he will," she teased as she kissed him softly before pulling away. "So what did you get from him?"

Youko chuckled as she kissed him then asked about the special item. "You want to see it?" he asked.

"That would be why I asked," she said as she moved away, hoping he'd deliver the goods.

Youko laughed as he climbed out of the water and over to his clothes and turned back to Kiara. "Close your eyes, Kiara," he said as he kept the necklace covered.

"Why?" she asked as she eyed him.

"Because it's a surprise for you and its more fun to have you close your eyes so just do it," he said a bit impatiently. Kiara chuckled but complied with him. When Youko returned to the water, he placed the necklace around her neck and made sure the clasp was secure. "What do you think?"

Kiara looked down at her chest and saw the golden roses that surrounded her neck and gasped in surprise. The necklace was stunning and she couldn't believe that he had gotten that for her. "Youko, it's beautiful," she said as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Youko chuckled as he held her close and kissed her back. He was happy that she liked it. It was the only item that remained of his mother and there was some pride in knowing that his mate would wear it. "It belonged to my mother before she died. Katsuo said I could have it but that he wanted to meet you and that you had to wear it but it looks like you like it enough to wear it," he teased.

Kiara was stunned. Youko had fully opened himself up to her but giving her a necklace that belonged to his departed mother. She took a shaky hand and pressed the precious metal to her skin, vowing that she would never remove it and never let anything happen to it. To her, this was the greatest gift that he could have ever given her. As he explained about the necklace, it was then that she understood. "Katsuo is your father, isn't he?" she asked.

"Yeah, and he's a real bastard so be on your guard when you meet him," he said as he gave her a serious look.

Kiara chuckled as she kissed him. "I can only imagine what you would say if you met my father," she said as she chuckled softly at the idea. "Thank you for the necklace. I'll cherish it, always."

Youko kissed her back before joining in on her chuckle. "When will I get to meet your dear daddy? I have a few things I'd like to discuss with him," he said as he placed his hand over her hand that held the necklace. "You're welcome, love. This is one piece of treasure that will always be yours."

"If you're lucky, never," she said as she imagined Koenma meeting Youko as her mate. Kiara could contain her laugh at the image and had to burry herself in Youko's chest to try and control it.

"I hope that one day you'll tell me who he is and maybe one day I'll know who you really are but that's not a priority," Youko said as he looked down at her mask.

Kiara chuckled and nodded. "Perhaps one day you will see beneath the mask, after all, if we're to be mated, you're bound to catch me with it off at least one time," she teased.

Youko chuckled as he wrapped his tail around hers. The silver and black blending together in such a way as to tell him that he had found his other half. "So tell me about your visit with your sister," he said as he looked down at her.

"I had to talk to her about the idea of coming to join me here. I told her that I was planning to remain a thief and that I was going to mate with one, so I gave her the choice of join with us or going back home. She told me that she wanted time to think about her decision but that before she makes it, she wants to meet you. That's very brave of her so I figured after we're mated, I'd go back for her decision and I'd bring you with me," she explained.

"I'd be honored to meet her and I promise that I will be the perfect gentleman," he said, hoping to convince her that he'd help persuade her sister to join them, knowing that she'd rather have her sister with her.

"Just be yourself, Youko, otherwise she'll see right through you. She's a smart kit, after all, I raised her," Kiara pointed out.

"So she's a mini version of you? Hmm, can I handle two Kiaras? I shudder at the thought," he teased.

Kiara gasped at him before smacking him lightly on his arm. "You look for war there, fox?" she teased back and moved out of his grasp.

Youko growled playfully as he swam after her. "Oh no, but a chase is more than welcomed," he said as he made a grab for her.

Kiara chuckled as she swam out of his grasped and quickly climbed out of the water and too her clothes. "It's a chase you want, fox boy, better start running," she said as she quickly dressed and took off. "There's isn't a reward for failing to catch before I make it into my hideout."

Youko growled again as he climbed out and grabbed his clothes and took after her. Kiara paced herself carefully, making sure she kept just out of reach of him. Youko had to think fast if he was going to catch her before she made it to her home, which was fast approaching. Deciding the best course of action was to be rough, he tackled her to the ground, rolling her above him so that he took the brunt of the fall. "I caught you, Miss Vixen," he said as he held her.

Kiara chuckled and nodded but pointed to where they landed. He had tackled into her front yard. "You're catch, my love, won me the race," she laughed.

Youko laughed as he rolled his eyes. "You know, I'm starting to think that I need to move. It seems silly for a mated couple to be separated," he commented as he sat up.

"We're not mated yet and I'm sure we can work something out," she said as she got off him.

"Perhaps," he commented as he stood up and took her into his arms. "This is where I leave you for now, love but I will see you tomorrow."

Kiara nodded as she hugged him close. "Until tomorrow," she said as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. Youko kissed her back before turning and disappearing into the surrounding forest.

**Well we all know how that saying goes. So can anyone tell me what our something old was? I'll give you a hint, it was three separate things! Review and tell me what you thing it was! After all, it seems that all four of our lovely characters are hiding secrets. Wonder what they are! Find out next time on Love and Secrets!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Here is the next installment of Love and Secrets. There are only 2 MORE LEFT! I can't believe it! So I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 16: Something New

Youko didn't sleep after he left Kiara at her home. He had too much to do before the sun rose. He had spent all night drawing up plans, taking measurements and securing materials. He had a big project ahead of him. When the first rays of light slipped into his window, he gathered his plans and headed out to Kuronue's home. It didn't take him long to get to the house and start pounding on the door.

"Kuronue! Get up, we have work to do!" he shouted at the door.

Kuronue growled from his balcony as he looked down at Youko and rubbed his eyes. "It's dawn, you bastard! Haven't you ever heard of sleep?" he grumbled.

"Didn't get any. We have a lot of work to do so let's get to it," he said before shaking his head. "After you put some clothing on. Sienna might like seeing your naked ass but I don't need to see it."

Kuronue looked down at himself then Youko. "Well, if you didn't rudely wake me up then you wouldn't have gotten an eye full," Kuronue said as he stormed back into his room. Sienna slowly rose from her pillow and watched as Kuronue stormed around the room. "A bat without his beauty sleep is a scary thing," she said as she pulled her knees against her chest.

"That fox bastard is demanding slave labor as dawn, excuse me for being grumpy. At least your part is simple. She'll sleep in until we're done. You're just babysitting," he grumbled.

"Trust me, she'll be plenty difficult. Once she figures it out, she'll give me hell," she said as she got up and walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. Don't worry, love, today will be worth it."

Kuronue wrapped her tight in his arms as he listened to her. "Can we swap? I'd rather deal with her then him," he said as he kissed the top of her head.

"No, I have plans for her today, so you're going to have to have your fun with Youko," she said as she moved away from him and started to get ready for the day.

"Have it your way," he said as he smiled at her and finished getting dressed. As he headed for the exit, he turned and looked back at Sienna. "I'll see you later on. Give her a little payback with the blindfold while you're at it."

Sienna chuckled as she waved him off. Sienna quickly finished dressing and headed out to her old hideout. Youko and Kuronue were already gone when she left but she could still hear them in the distance talking. From what she could hear, Kuronue would have his hands full. When she finally made it out of the woods, she stood before the entrance of her old hideout and smile. "This should be an interesting day," she said as she headed through the entrance.

The hideout was already busy for it being so early. The girls greeted Sienna as she walked passed them on her way to the war room. Kiara was already there, her head close to Yoshi as they whispered to each other. "Starting without me?" she asked as she approached them.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Kiara said as she hugged her best friend. "We were talking renovations. Didn't realize that those storms we had last month did some damage to the North wing."

"Well you do realize that that was your fault. Anger and frustration bring out the hurricane in you," Sienna teased.

"You want a taste of Hurricane Kiara?" Kiara teased back.

"I don't think that is necessary," Sienna laughed as she took her seat right next to Kiara. The meeting they were having was between the three of them, no one else. "So how is this raid going down? Have you finished making the floor plans of Spirit World Palace?"

Kiara nodded as she rolled out the blue prints she had finished the night before. "What we need was recently moved to the center most vault. There are five different security codes, three keys, DNA scanner, and two ogres. Ogres will be a simple knock out. Youko can handle picking the locks and I can crack the codes. DNA will be an issue but I'll leave that to you, Sienna. You're good at collecting items," Kiara said as she winked at her friend.

Sienna chuckled. She had the easy job. One vial of Kiara's blood would be enough to trigger the lock. "What's Kuronue's job?" Sienna asked.

"He will be assisting Youko. These locks need to be opened in time and the right order with the codes. That's a three person job. Yoshi, you and whoever Youko chooses, will be on look out. Remember, we're not killing, just knock them out," Kiara reminded Yoshi.

"Zero bloodshed?" Yoshi asked. "Normally you don't care if we kill anyone."

"This is Spirit World Palace. It's better if we don't make our presence known, unless you want spirit world army coming after us," Kiara pointed out.

"We could take spirit world. With Youko's group fighting at our side, spirit world wouldn't stand a chance," Yoshi said as she slammed her fist down on the plans.

Both Kiara and Sienna looked at each other before looking back at Yoshi. "What has come over you, Yoshi? Where has this all come from?" Sienna asked.

"Yomi and I have been talking. You and Youko could have demon world. You could rule it, Kiara, but you don't. You just waste your life," Yoshi spat out, disgust clear on her face.

Kiara eyed her carefully. This was not what she had in mind with uniting the two groups. This was the opposite. "This has never been about power for me, Yoshi. If I wanted power then I'd go home. This is about freedom and for once I have that, and if power is what you seek then you'll be replaced on this raid. We do this my way, as we have always done," Kiara warned Yoshi. Hearing her speak like that was unsettling to Kiara. She remembered Youko mentioning to her about Yomi and now it seemed that both Youko and Kiara were going to deal with this problem.

"I'm your third-in-command, you can't replace me," Yoshi shouted as she rose to challenge Kiara.

"Then you'll be following my order to the letter!" Kiara shouted back, standing to meet Yoshi's challenge. The room around them began to shake as thunder clapped loudly around them.

Yoshi visibly flinched as Kiara reminded her of her power. "Yes, Kiara," she said as he backed down.

Kiara watched her for a moment then to Sienna. "I think we'll continue this with Youko later on. You're dismissed, Yoshi," she said as Yoshi bowed and left the room.

"What the hell was that?" Sienna asked as she watched Yoshi leave.

"That was a problem, a very concerning problem. One that will need to be dealt with soon before it gets any worse," she whispered for a moment before rising and heading for the exit. "I'll be back in a moment; I need to speak to Youko."

"Youko? Why?" Sienna asked.

"Yomi has been causing problems for him and now it seems he is causing problems for me. This needs to be solved and quickly before their idealism spreads to the others," she said as she reached the door.

"Youko is gone," Sienna said as she moved quickly to Kiara's side.

"What?" Kiara asked as she turned to her and halted in her tracks.

"I mean, he and Kuronue said they had something to do today. They left early this morning. Kuronue was whining the entire time Youko was telling him it would take all day," Sienna explained.

"What are they doing?"

"Not a clue, they wouldn't tell me."

"Want to go find out?" Kiara asked with a sneaky smile.

"Actually, I have something that I want your help with," Sienna said with a bit of a shy look.

"What's that?"

"So where are we going to start?" Kuronue asked as he struggled under the weight of the materials they had gathered.

"The hot springs; I want to include the springs in the design," Youko explained as he approached the springs' entrance and hung up the designs he had prepared.

"What is it with foxes and hot springs?" Kuronue asked as he dropped his burden.

"What is it with bats and whining?" Youko countered.

"You woke me up, so you get to pay the price and deal with it," Kuronue threw back at him.

Youko rolled his eyes and chuckled as he looked over the plans again and made a few adjustments. Kuronue thought he'd be doing all the work but it was Youko who would end up using all his energy for the project. "I'm going to start clearing the area of plants so we have a clean surface to work with, you and your whining can work on this area," he said as he pointed to a small section in the plans.

Kuronue looked down at the plans then to the surrounding area. "Youko, you know that I don't have that kind of power," he said as he glanced at the plans again.

"Like I said, I'm going to start clearing the area, since they are plants and that's what I'm good at. Once I'm done, you can start on your part," Youko repeated.

"I'm going to be exhausted when we're done," he whined again.

"So am I but you don't hear me whining," he shot back.

"This whole thing is your idea; I better not hear one single complaint," Kuronue grumbled as he looked over the materials they gathered and then back to the plans. "We don't have all the materials, what are you going to do about that?" he asked as he watched Youko use his energy to force the plants to retreat from the surrounding area.

Youko looked back at Kuronue before smirking. He knew what he meant but he had it all planned out, just like his raids, they were never half assed. Youko just kept his smirk as he continued clearing the grounds. "Already taken care of, we're picking those up when we're done here. I already let them know. They've been working since last night. They should be ready by the time we finish here," he said.

"And what happens if the girls decide to go to that little village of yours and catch them hard at work before we get there?" Kuronue asked.

"Well, they should be well distracted. At least, that's what Sienna is supposed to do," Youko reminded him.

"And she'll do just that but let's say that they do decide to go there, what then?" Kuronue asked.

"Then we'll need to hurry because we'll be busted and that will not be acceptable. I really need this to surprise her so quit your whining and let's get to it!" he said as he focused harder on moving the plants. Kuronue nodded as he too got back to work, laying down markers around the areas.

Kiara couldn't contain her grin as she hugged Sienna tightly. "That's amazing! I can't believe it! And I'd love to help. What do you need from me?" she asked as she was practically bouncing with excitement.

"Well I was thinking we could do something very simple," Sienna said as she smirked. "SHOPPING!"

Kiara laughed as she nodded. "Now shopping I can do but where do you want to go?" she asked.

"What about that kitsune village that Youko took you to? After all, we all know how crafty you foxes are," Sienna teased.

Kiara rolled her eyes at her but nodded. "Glad to know that you have finally accepted that we foxes are the cleverer of the species," she teased back.

Sienna glared playfully at her before laughing. "Well since I don't know the way to this magical village, I suggest you lead on, oh princess."

Kiara laughed at Sienna before grabbing a bag of assorted seeds and heading out the balcony and down to the forest floor. "Shake a wing. We've got a long way to go!" she shouted as she took off into the foliage of the forest. Sienna cursed Kiara before flying after her.

Youko rubbed the sweat from his brown as he looked at the vast flat area surrounding the hot springs. "That should be it for now. Let's see Kyoko and get the rest of the materials before it's too late and my plans get ruined," he said as he headed toward the fox village.

"Well I have been waiting on you, my friend but you were being stubborn with that last piece of turf. Now let's get a move on, I can't shake this itch that we might get busted," Kuronue said as he took off with Youko.

"I hate it when you have that feeling because it normally means it'll come true," Youko said as he glared at him. "So do me a favor, lose the itch and save me the headache."

Kuronue laughed as he kept up with Youko. "Admit it, you love my itch. Every time we've been on a raid, that itch has been your best friend so I don't want to hear it," he teased.

"It has its moments of usefulness but I don't need it today," Youko said as he felt his stress level rise. Kuronue was right. His itch always did come in handy. "Let's pick up the pace."

Kuronue chuckled but kept pace with Youko. He could tell the fox was on edge and wanted to get to the fox village soon. He didn't blame him. The closer they got to the village, the more his itch worsened. "It's only Kyoko we have to see?" he asked.

"Yes. She said she'd have everything loaded and ready to go by the time we got there. We shouldn't be long," Youko said as he nodded to the sentry.

Kyoko's store was the largest in the village. Many demons came from all around demon world to order specialty items from her trade, simply because she was the best. Youko walked into Kyoko's show room and did a quick look around. It was then that he understood Kuronue's itch. Over at the far side of the room was Kiara and Sienna. Kuronue came to a stop behind Youko. It was then that he saw the girls admiring something small in the background. "Told you I had a bad itch," he said as he ducked behind a large column.

Youko gave him a look, saying that it was best to not remind him of that. He too decided that the best course of action was to hide behind the other column and somehow flag Kyoko down because it was at this point she was talking to the girls in the corner. Youko looked over at Kuronue and indicated that he was heading to the back of the building and that he had to get either Sienna or Kyoko's attention. Kuronue glared at Youko as he watched the fox sneak himself out of sight. Kuronue looked back over at the females who were now chatting merrily about whatever females talk about. Kuronue turned back around the column and tried to think of a plan that wouldn't result in his immediate pain or death. Kuronue rubbed his neck as he contemplated what he should do when he heard Sienna.

"Are you alright Sienna?" Kiara asked.

"Yeah, I think Kuronue accidently touched the mark," she said. Kuronue smiled. He now knew what to do. Looking around the column, he began rubbing the mark, hoping that Sienna would look up and see him.

Sienna held her neck and looked around. Kuronue was supposed to be working on Kiara's gift so if he was playing with the mark, it meant he was close by. "Kiara, I'll be right back. Gotta find a bathroom," she said.

"There's one over at the far wall that you are welcomed to use," the fox demoness offered.

Sienna nodded her thanks and headed toward the bathrooms. As she passed between the columns, a hand shot out and pulled her behind one of them. Sienna turned to the person who grabbed her and wasn't surprised that it was Kuronue.

"What are you doing here?" they both whispered to each other.

"Kiara needed some retail therapy. I thought you two were working on her present," Sienna said as she glared at him.

"That's why we're here, to pick up the last of the materials that Youko ordered last night. He's in the back and we need Kyoko so we can get out of here. Think you can send her back to us for a bit?" he asked as he kept looking over his shoulder.

"I'll see what I can do but I'll try to get her back there," she said as she smiled up at him and headed back over to Kiara and Kyoko. "Um, Kyoko? There are some demons in the back waiting to pick up a special order. One of your employees asked if I could get you since they seemed to be stuck in a very difficult position."

"Thanks Sienna. I've been waiting for him to show up. If you two will excuse me, I'll be right back," the fox demoness said as she headed towards the back.

"So she does special orders?" Kiara said as she looked over at Sienna. "Think we should just design our own and have her build it?"

"Maybe. I mean I like this design but she doesn't have anything else to go with it so maybe," she said as she admired the piece again. "I mean, if nothing else, I can get you and Youko to do it."

"That would require me to tell him what is going on and I thought that defeated the purpose," Kiara reminded her.

Sienna chuckled. "I don't think I asked for the wise ass vixen to come with me," she teased.

"You should know by now that she comes whether you like it or not," Kiara said as she moved down the aisles.

Sienna chuckled. "So you think you can design something better than this?" she asked as she followed Kiara.

"I designed your home, didn't I?" she asked, giving her an exasperated look.

"Fair enough," she said as she looked towards the exit. "So let's see how good you are."

"You ready to leave?" she asked.

"Sure. I want to see what designs you can come up with, smart one. You're the one who offered the challenge. I want to see what you got," Sienna said as she gave her friend a knowing smile.

"What I've got is mad skills," Kiara chuckled, her eyes showing her mischievousness.

Youko waited in the back of the warehouse for Kuronue to finish getting Kyoko away from the girls. It seemed that he couldn't get a break from it all, but hopefully after tonight, he wouldn't have to sneak around. Kyoko came back a few minutes followed by Kuronue. "Took your time," Youko said as he glared at them.

"I was dealing with customers, Youko; you need to be a little patient. Besides, you could have come to me, you didn't need to send a messenger," Kyoko chided.

"That vixen you were dealing with is my female. The one I placed the order for and it's a surprise," Youko explained.

"Oh! Well now I understand," she said as she moved toward the loading dock where Youko's order was. "Is this what you wanted?"

Youko looked over the order and pulled out the drawings that he had designed the night before. "Exactly. I knew I could count on you Kyoko!" Youko said as he bowed to her. He nodded to Kuronue to take over the cart and turned back to Kyoko and handed her the gold. "Thank you for all of this and I'd appreciate it if you don't mention me being here or my friend to the girls. This is a surprise for my future mate."

"I understand completely, Youko. As far as I am concerned you were just a random customer with an order. As far as I know I've never heard of Youko Kurama," she assured him.

"Thank you, Kyoko," Youko said as he followed Kuronue out the back. "Now we need to get out of here before the girls see us. How's that itch of yours?"

"Screaming. I'm guessing the girls have left," Kuronue said as he led the demon pulling the cart into the woods.

"I was afraid of that. I wonder if Kiara also has an itch, if so, then I'm in trouble," Youko said as he moved quickly.

"That would be hysterical! She'd know if you were cheating on her all the time. You'd have to be a good honest mate for all time," Kuronue laughed.

Youko growled at him but pushed on. He didn't have the time to waste with Kiara potentially walking around. "Kuronue, if that itch of yours gets stronger, don't keep it to yourself," Youko said as he maneuvered the cart and demon through the thick foliage.

"Will do boss," Kuronue saluted as he followed.

Kiara and Sienna moved slowly through the forest, chatting about everything and nothing. Kiara went on in great detail about the design she would create for Sienna. "So what do you think?" she asked.

"I love it but will Kuronue?" she asked.

"Does that matter?"

"Well he is my mate, so yeah. Just like Youko will matter in all your decisions," she pointed out.

Kiara stopped and looked at Sienna. "You're right. Soon I'll have to share everything with Youko. No more doing it solo," she said.

"Welcome to mating. It's not just your life anymore, it's you and Youko and any little ones that should come along," Sienna explained.

Kiara took a seat on a fallen log and looked up at Sienna. "Sienna, do you think Youko will make a good father?"

"Of course now you think about stuff like that. Look Kiara, he isn't your dad. Not all men are like that," Sienna said as she gave her a hard look. When Kiara didn't look convinced, she groaned. "Yes, I think he'll make a good father just like you'll make a good mother. Don't worry, you two are meant for each other."

"Funny you should say that now since it wasn't long ago that you were telling me that he wasn't good enough for me," Kiara pointed out.

"A minor technicality. I was only pushing him to be better and now he is so I feel that he is now worthy of you," Sienna said as she tried to cover herself.

"Uh huh," Kiara laughed before heading towards Sienna's home. "Come on, I wanna get these design on paper."

"Why do I feel like I've created a monster?" Sienna asked.

"Who? Me?" Kiara asked innocently. Sienna chuckled as she followed Kiara back to her home. "I wonder what the guys are up to?"

"Probably nothing. I'm pretty sure Kuronue is miserable," Sienna said as she walked into her home.

"Probably right," Kiara laughed. "Now what room did you have in mind for me to remodel?"

"Explain to me why I'm the one dragging the cart and you're doing nothing?" Kuronue shouted at Youko as they returned to the springs but as Kuronue looked around, he fully realized what Youko had accomplished, not only when they were there but while they were away. "How the hell did you manage this?"

"Well, you see, when you whine you get distracted. I got this done while you were complaining about the small area I gave to you. Honestly, how the hell I manage to get anything done around you is a miracle. Maybe I should have asked Sienna to help me. I bet she's more productive than you. The rest, I left my energy to do while we were away. Didn't you notice that I was a bit distracted? Hence, you had to get Kyoko and lead the cart," Youko said as he started to unload the cart.

"Kiara's right, you really are a bastard," Kuronue pointed out as he helped him.

"Please don't' agree with her, you'll only inflate her ego more. Look I want this done before sundown, do you think you can control your grumpy ass long enough for us to get this done or do you want to continue this into the night and the wee hours of the morning?"

"Come on, Youko, quit talking, this stuff doesn't work itself," Kuronue said as he doubled his pace. Youko chuckled as he too, doubled his efforts to get everything finished and in its place. The hours passed by and Youko and Kuronue work hard and quickly to finish before nightfall.

The sun was setting as the two demons stepped back to look at what they had accomplished. Youko wiped his face down and admired the new and improved hot spring. A grin spread clear across his face before turning to Kuronue. "See, now wasn't this worth the early morning wakeup call?" Youko asked.

"No," he said matter-of –fact. "But for Kiara, it'll be worth it to see her smile at this."

"And I thought I was cold. Glad you've got love for my mate but what about me?" Youko asked as he faked being wounded.

"Yeah, no. Now let's go before it gets too dark for her to see," he joked as he headed towards the girls' hide out. Youko nodded as he followed Kuronue back to the girls' home. As his excitement filled him, his quickened his pace just to get to her. He couldn't wait for the surprised look on her face as he showed her his masterpiece.

The demons were about half way to the girls' hideout when their scents crossed them. They figured their scents were coming from Kuronue's home. "What are they doing there? I thought they were going to stay at the hideout," Kuronue wondered as he looked at Youko.

"Think something is going on?" he asked.

"I say we find out," Kuronue said as he took off towards his home. The springs were closer to Kuronue's home than to any of the hideouts. That was why Youko chose it. He wanted Kiara to always be close to the one person who meant as much to her as her own family. When they arrived, they found the girls lounging on the balcony laughing as the sun set behind them.

Youko froze in place as he watched the colors of the sky and trees dance around his future mate. The sun, itself, made her glow as it brought to life the many colors that were in her hair. He loved the laid back nature she held within her as he watched her sway with the wind, her features so relaxed and free. Now he understood what was so important to her, the freedom to be who she truly was and not the vixen behind the mask nor the thief that sat above him were free. She wanted to be free, just like the nature that surrounded her.

Kuronue shook him out of his haze before pointing that the girls. They both smiled down at them before jumping off the banister and landing gracefully before them. Sienna instantly went into Kuronue's arms and held him tightly, as if she hadn't seen him in a thousand years. Kuronue merely held her close and whispered into her ear words that brought a red tint to her cheeks. Youko turned back to Kiara who stood back and smile at him. He laughed softly and opened his arms to her. Kiara didn't even hesitate and was in his arms in an instant. His vixen nuzzled his neck and purred as she held onto him. So this is what it was like to have someone to come home to. This is what it was like to be in love.

Youko nuzzled her back and kissed the top of her head. He hadn't realized that a day without her was something that he couldn't stand to do again. He lifted her chin to look up at him before placing a strong and possessive kiss on her lips. He needed to feel her, to taste her, to know that she wasn't a dream. As she stepped back from him, she looked him over and laughed. "You're filthy, Youko. What have you been doing all day?" she asked as she smiled up at him.

"I've been working hard on something. Been slaving away since dawn," he said as he smiled back at her.

"Say what?! Slaving away, my ass! I'm the one who worked like a dog! I mean, look at my poor wings! I'll be surprised if I can ever fly again. Not to mention…I'm sleep deprived," Kuronue whined as he glared at Youko.

Youko glared right back even as he heard the girls' chuckle. "Youko, were you mean to Kuronue today?" Kiara asked all sweetly.

Youko turned back to her and gave her an innocent smile. "I would never been mean to him, love," he said.

"That's it! I'm having a fox skin rug!" Kuronue said as he tried to lunge at Youko but Sienna held him back.

"Calm down, he's trying to distract Kiara. Remember, you two haven't shown her what you've been working on," Sienna whispered into his ear as she held onto his wings.

"But Sienna…" Kuronue pouted.

"No buts, this is for Kiara. You can destroy him afterwards," she said as she tried to soothe him. Kuronue pouted some more before nodding.

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Kiara asked.

"Just trying to keep cranky calm," Sienna said as she joined them.

Youko laughed as he saw the frustration clear in Kuronue's eyes. He knew that one day he'd get pay back but not today. Smiling at Sienna and Kuronue, he pulled out a blindfold and tied it around Kiara's masks. Kiara instantly tried to take it off but Sienna stilled her hands.

"What are you three doing?!" she demanded as she tried not to panic.

"It's ok, Kia. We have a little surprise for you," Sienna said as she held her hands tightly.

"Little my ass," Kuronue mumbled. Sienna gave him a dirty look as she followed Youko and Kiara into the woods. Youko was being very careful to remove any obstacles so that Kiara didn't fall. Just like Kiara had done for him. She could tell that Kiara didn't like the blindfold and she wondered how long they could keep it on her before she rebelled and removed it herself.

"Come on guys, this isn't funny. Where are we going? Why do I need to be blindfolded?" she asked as her hands were in front of her, saving her from running into the clearly invisible trees that stood in front of her.

"Kiara, calm down. Nothing bad is going to happen, unless you forget how to walk," Sienna said as she came up beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. As soon as they connected, Kiara tripped a bit but thankfully Youko steadied her. Kiara turned towards Sienna and gave her, what Sienna thought, was a dirty look from behind her blindfold. "Sorry."

Kiara shook her head but they kept going. She didn't know what to expect, for all she knew it was a trap and her life was in danger. As soon as that thought crossed her mind she shook it away. Sienna was her best friend and Youko was the male that she was going to mate with…unless it was all a trick. Her shoulders tensed up, preparing to run if it really came down to the betrayal that was brewing within her.

Youko could feel her tension and knew that any fox would feel unnerved by this but he kept telling himself that she would love his present, as soon as she got to see it. To help ease her tension, he gently massaged her shoulder as he led her through the woods. When the sounds of the hot springs filled his ears, he leaned in close to hers and whispered, "Do you know where we are?"

Kiara listened and heard water and felt the warmth on the wind. The smell of certain plants began to swarm around her and she nodded. "Our hot springs," she whispered back.

"Exactly," he said as he removed the blindfold.

Kiara eyes blinked for a few seconds to adjust to the light or perhaps it was the shock as she looked at the house before her. "Is that what I think that is?" she asked.

"It's our home, if you want it. I built it for us, even put the hot springs in it," Youko said as he coaxed her closer.

"You weren't the only one there, fox," Kuronue chimed in.

"Kuronue also helped," he verified. He brought Kiara to the entrance of the house before giving her the key. "Go inside and take a look around. See if you like it."

Kiara looked down at the key that he had in his hand before looking back up at the house. She couldn't believe it's size or that he managed to get this done with just Kuronue. The outside was beautiful, as the wood of the surrounding trees brought out the nature of the house. Kiara took the key with a trembling hand and unlocked the door. The rooms were already filled with furniture of a more rustic soft kind. Carvings of the forest and their surroundings were depicted along the wall like a giant wooden mural.

Soft carpets were laid across the floor, leading to a giant fireplace. Kiara couldn't believe her eyes as she roamed from room to room. The kitchen was spacious enough to serve as a place for meals and as a greenhouse. There were already hundreds of seeds and plants that they used for weapons or healing waiting to be tended to.

Kiara followed along the row of plants before coming to a spiral staircase and followed it up. The room wasn't special in the sense that it was meant for something. It was just plain. Kiara turned around and looked at Youko. "I figured you could give your sister this room and either you or she or both could decorate it. I wasn't sure what she was interested in," he explained.

Kiara nodded as she moved from that room and into the hall. An extensive row of doors clung to the walls as she walked down them before stopping at a rather large and well detailed door. The door was a flowery scenery with two foxes entwined together, nuzzling one another. Kiara open the door and looked inside. There laid that largest bed she had ever seen. She swore she could roll around in that bed for a week and never hit the same spot twice.

Youko urged her in further. A balcony laid to her right and it was filled with her favorite flowers. On her left was a beautiful cabinet, which already had her clothing in it. "How did these get here?" Kiara asked.

"Oh, I had Emiko packed up your clothing and brought them here. She also brought your library. You'll have to get the rest though," Sienna explained.

"You three managed this all today?" she asked.

"Basically, Sienna was to keep you distracted while Youko and I built your home," Kuronue explained.

"But what about the others?" Kiara asked.

"Well I figured after we're mated, we can rebuild a new hideout for the two to stay in," Youko explained. "We'd all be together."

"So what do you think?" Sienna asked. "Ready to move in?"

Kiara looked around at the room then back at her friends, tears filled her eyes. Youko instantly went over and pulled her into his arms. "Kiara, I didn't mean to upset you," he said as he looked to Sienna for help.

"I'm not upset, Youko. I'm happy. It's just that, it's been a long time since I've felt this way. Things finally feel right," she said as she looked up at him. "This is fantastic! I love it!"

Sienna smiled at her. "And to think, you're even closer to me. We'll have so much fun now," she said as she winked at her.

Kiara laughed. "Oh the mischief we can cause," she laughed.

Kuronue and Youko looked at each other and each pulled the girls away from each other. "I'm starting to think that we need to keep these two a part. They're dangerous together," Kuronue said as he eyed Sienna.

Sienna rolled her eyes. "Good luck with that one," she said as she turned towards Kiara. "So shall we head over and pack up you're things and move you in?"

Kiara looked at Youko then back at Sienna. "Let's get too it!" she said.

"How about we wait until it is light out?" Youko point out as he faced the night sky.

Both girls looked out the window and chuckled. "I guess fox boy has a good point. Can't really lug all your junk through the forest with no light," Sienna teased.

Kiara glared at her but laughed. "Well, I guess we can all get up early and get it all done," she said.

"OH NO! Not again! There is no way in hell that you three are waking me up at dawn. Forget it," Kuronue grumbled.

Youko chuckled as he held onto Kiara. "Go home, you two. We'll get you around noon," he said as he followed them out of the bedroom.

Kuronue nodded as he started to pull Sienna away from Kiara. "Let's go, you. I need a bath and a massage. I was badly beaten today," he said as he tried to give his best pathetic look.

Sienna chuckled as she shook her head and looked back at Kiara and winked. "Oh you poor thing, whatever will we do with you," she teased as she followed him out into the woods. She stopped and turned back towards the fox couple and waved. "We'll see you both tomorrow then."

Kiara waved back as the bat couple disappeared into the darkness of the surrounding woods. When she could no longer see them, she turned towards Youko and smiled. "Thank you for this, Youko. This is the best present that I could have ever gotten. It's perfect," she said as she leaned up and kissed him.

Youko smiled broadly at her before pulling her tightly into his arms and kissed her. "You have no idea how much that means to me to hear you say that. I wanted this to be perfect for you, after all, we're going to be living her for a very long time," he teased as he brought her back into the house and sat her on the sofa. Satisfied that she wasn't going anywhere, he started up the fireplace, to bring a little more warmth to the room.

He moved back over to his mate and took his place beside her. She had a look of content and happiness on her as she watched the dancing flames. He had done this. He had given his mate this joy. He was changing. He was becoming a better demon and, in time and with her by his side, a better thief. He was finally living his life. He was doing more than just raiding and sleeping with women. He was opening the new chapter of his life with a female that made his world worth living.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight against him, letting him rest her head against his shoulder as she watched the dancing flames. Though she looked at the fireplace, he looked her over. Her soft hair, felt like silk as it cascaded down his arm and smelt like lavender, jasmine, and vanilla. From the time that he first met her until the day he died, those three scents would always remind him of his beloved. Her soft ears eased down, as if ready for slumber. His found her mask next. Though they were to be mated soon, she still wore the mask around him. He wondered if he would ever know what his mate truly looked like but he was content with what he had because in reality, he did have her. He had all of her; even her secret and he would take it to the grave. No one would ever lay a hand on her or on any children they were to have.

Kiara shifted slightly and looked up at Youko. He was staring at her again."You're always staring at me," she commented as she placed a gently hand on his chest, right over his heart.

"How can I not? You are my other half, my heart. I will always love you," he confessed as he placed his hand over one she place on his heart, and a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Kiara smiled at him. "You are such a charmer. You have me yet you still sound like I'm going to flee," she teased.

"I won't lie, I am worried that you will come to your senses and realize that you've made a mistake. Kiara, I've never given my heart to anyone. I never let anyone get that close. You could destroy me, if you wanted to," he told her.

"Only if I wanted to destroy myself. Youko, you're not the only one who gave their heart away. I trust you beyond anyone else," she told him as she moved closer to him.

Youko gave her hard look before kissing her deeply. He had made the right decision. He held her tightly against him and placed his hand behind her head so that it was nearly covered by her hair. He leaned her down on their sofa and covered her body with his. She gave a soft moan which only urged him more. He nibbled softly on her bottom lip. His free hand stroking her side. He wanted her, he wanted all of her but he couldn't. Not now. He had to wait until their mating ceremony.

He kissed alongside her jaw to her throat. He nibbled and suckled at her skin, his own skin burning to feel her beneath him. His urges to take her and make her his was constantly building, screaming at him to take her. She purred in his ear as he suckled at her skin. He growled softly as he moved away. "I'm torturing myself," he whispered out of breath.

Kiara chuckled softly as she stroked his face. "I know love but I swear, when we're alone, after our mating ceremony, you will not only receive my gift but relieve this itch that consumes us both," she said as she tried to gather her breath as well. If he hadn't stopped when he had, they would have been in serious trouble.

Youko nodded as he stood up from the sofa and offered his hand. "I know, but even my patience will eventually break. How soon are we doing this raid?" he asked with a goofy smile.

Kiara chuckled. "Soon enough. Have you found a third member?" she asked as she took his hand and stood up.

Youko nodded. "Kosuke. He's a good wolf demon. He'll keep a nose out for any danger," he said as he wrapped an arm around her waist and led them towards the main staircase.

"Good, we've been having trouble with my third-in-command. Apparently, Yomi has gotten to her," she said sadly.

"Are you serious?" he asked, startled by this news.

"Yes, she told me that we needed to start a war and rule as king and queen of demon world," she informed him.

"I'm working on it. He recently got a lot of my men killed. I will deal with Yomi," he promised her.

"And I will deal with Yoshi. I fear that she's become attached to Yomi. She normally never has ideas like this but this is strange and very concerning. I've never lost a girl but I might have to. She's changed and it frightens me. What she's believes goes against what we've been fighting for," she said as she gave him a worried look.

"We'll deal with it. I have a plan for Yomi. You won't like what it is but it is the only way," he said as he pushed open the door to their room.

"What is it?" she asked as she turned toward him.

"I've hired a demon to have him killed. I'll let slip of a great treasure. There, the bounty hunter will wait for him," he confessed. He'd be damned if he kept anything from her. He watched her carefully, to see how she would react to his methods.

"You have to do what you believe is right. You believe that Yomi is a threat?" she asked. Youko nodded slowly. "Then it is the only option. I will not put down one of my girls but she will go to him. This should be done before the hideouts move. If he survives, he will want vengeance."

Youko stared at her for a moment before placing a hand on her cheek. "I thought you wouldn't like my plan."

"I'm not stranger to death or assassination. I've had to do it myself. What needs to be done should be done," she said calmly.

"Then why no bloodshed in Spirit World?"

"Cause that would be an army coming after us. An army and the SDF. That would lead to a war with many of our friends being killed. Stealth is the better option," she explained. She moved away from him and looked over her clothing. It was late and she was exhausted. "We have the plans drawn up for the raid. The question is timing and preparation."

Youko nodded. She was right. All she was doing was protecting everyone and going in by stealth was the only way to do that. Killing would lead to the death of many and an all out war between Spirit World and Demon World. They couldn't have that. He watched her head over to her clothing and search for something to sleep in. Things would be awkward until they were mated but most relationships were, in the beginning. "In a few days time, we can have a sit down with those going and go over every detail and make sure we're ready. No mistakes. A perfect in and out situation. How long will we be in?" he asked.

"In a perfect world? No more than an hour but nothing runs perfectly, so I'll say two. Any more than that and we would have to abort," she explained as she found a silk nightgown. She stroked her fingers over the fabric, trying to decide if she should step into the bathroom to change or do it right in front of him. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her naked before but it was still a new feeling, letting a male see her completely. Well, not completely, she still had the mask but still.

"If you need some privacy, go ahead and take it. I don't mind," he said, reading her nervousness.

Kiara felt foolish. Here she was, in a room with the male that she was soon to mate and spend the rest of her life with. The male she was going to have children with and she was being shy about changing clothing in front of him. Shaking her head, she started to undress. "I need to get over it at some point, otherwise, it'll be a very long and awkward life," she said as she turned towards him.

Youko watched her carefully as she fully turned towards him, her clothing completely removed and her beautiful pale skin glowing. His body came to life. It wanted the vixen before him. It craved her. Youko approached her slowly, like a hunter stalking his prey. He slid his arms out of his tunic and pulled it over his head. He hooked his thumbs around his waist band slid the clothing free from his body. Now they were equals. Both holding nothing back, sort of. She still had her mask on but that was as much a part of her as her own skin.

She was breathing heavily as he finally stood before her in all his masculine glory. He hid nothing from her, not even his throbbing want for her but she was nervous. He knew she'd never been with another male before and that knowledge filled him with such pleasure knowing that he would be the only male she would ever know, but not tonight. He placed an arm around her shoulder and scooped the other one under her bottom and lifted her up. "No need to rush things. We'll work it out," he said as he placed her in their bed. "For now, we'll sleep and be content in each other's arms."

Kiara smiled up at him and watched him move in beside her. He kissed her softly and pulled so that he fit around her, protecting her. She moved closer to him and pulled his hand in hers. His body was warm and soft. She felt safe and loved. She even felt his calm and steady heartbeat. Her eyes fluttered a bit and her breathing slowed. And just before she fell asleep, she whispered one word for him to hear. "Family." Youko didn't know what she meant until it hit him. They were now and would always be a family.

**That's it for chapter 16! Will start work on the next one tomorrow! Until then, please feel free to review and tell me what you think! I love hearing from you guys about these chapters! Thanks again!**


	17. Chapter 17

**As promised, here is the next chapter of Love and Secrets. I hope you all enjoy!**

Chapter 17: Something Borrowed

Several days had passed since Kiara and Youko moved into their new home. It had taken two days for them to move both of their things in. Sienna and Kiara had to secretly move her hidden treasure into a more secure location. Kiara didn't know why she hung onto it but she knew that maybe one day she might need it. It took about a day to organize the house the way they could both live with. Naturally that sparked a few arguments between the fox couple, one argument that needed a bat intervention.

Once they were settled at home, they put together a new hideout for the remainder of their groups to join together. Things were falling into place. There were just three more things that needed to happen for everything to be perfect. The first was that they had to deal with Yomi and Yoshi. The next, Kiara and Youko would go on a raid of Spirit World. The last thing was their mating ceremony. The last part she was excited for. She couldn't wait for her and Youko to finally be together.

Youko had been working secretly with Kuronue on the finalization of their Yomi problem. He had the general plan down but it was the details that still needed to be worked out. Kiara had made a point to stay out of it. She didn't full agree with it. She was kinder than he was. She had her small part and that was all that he needed from her. He'd take the brunt of the consequences for his decisions.

Youko rolled over and looked at his sleeping mate-to-be. All sense of shyness had left her as she peacefully slumbered next to him, as the sun crept into their balcony window. He knew he couldn't prolong it anymore, and he gently shook her. "Kiara, time to wake up, love," he whispered.

Kiara rolled over and looked at him sleepily through her mask. "Why so early, Youko?" she asked.

"You told me you wanted to know when it was going to happen, well it's today," he told her.

Kiara woke straight up. She knew what this meant. Today they were going to lose Yomi and Yoshi. Sadness filled her. She didn't want to lose Yoshi but no matter what Kiara said, she wouldn't change her mind. She had to go. Kiara nodded. "Just tell me what I need to do," she said.

"Wait until nightfall and let her know that Yomi went missing around the Castle of Pain," he explained as he pulled her into his arms. "Don't worry; you won't know exactly what will have happened to him, as promised."

She nodded. "This will crush her but it has to be done," she said.

Youko nodded. "Let's not focus on it now. We're meeting today to finalize the plans for Spirit World?"

Kiara nodded as she pulled out of his arms and crossed to their bathroom. Youko watched her sadly. He knew that this was difficult for her. She didn't want to give up any of her girls. She took them in and saved their lives. A few days ago, she had told him everything about her group. She wanted to save the females who had been tortured and left for ruin and death. She found these females and brought them home and gave them a purpose. She trained them. Took their past and gave them a future. He didn't do that with his men. They came and went and it didn't matter to him, as long as he reached his goal.

The only things that he knew about his men where their names and their abilities and that was all he needed to know. Again, she was the better thief. She trusted her females without hesitation; he trusted his men about as far as he could throw them. Well, asides from Kuronue. He was the only one he really trusted. He needed to be a better thief. He needed to prove himself to his new mate even if it meant he had to go against his internal instinct and actually trust his males.

Kiara came out of their bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body and her head, mask still in place. He slipped out of their bed and immediately was drawn to her side. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her close. He dipped his head to the nook of her neck. He left a gentle trail of butterfly kisses up her neck before leaving one on her cheek. "I know things are not how you would like them to be but I promise that things will be better," he whispered into her ear.

She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I know, Youko. The world isn't perfect but we're doing the best we can. So let's get it done so we can finally start our life," she said as she looked up at him.

Youko nodded but still held her tight. "You're right. I just worry about you. You mean more to me than my own life. I don't ever want to drive you away," he confessed.

Kiara chuckled. "Youko, you won't drive me away. So please stop worrying," she said as she moved away and started to dress. "Now let's focus on Spirit World. I want to get that done and over within three days time."

Youko nodded. "Three days time? I think we can accomplish that. I'll let Kosuke know to meet us at Kuronue's," he told her as he started dressing.

"I took Yoshi off. I don't think she'll be able to attend after tonight. We'll have Emiko instead. We'll meet you there in about an hour?" she asked as she turned to him.

"Better make it two. I need to spread the rumor around for Yomi," he said as he gave her an apologetic look.

"We'll meet you there then," she said as she came over to him and kissed him before walking out of their room.

Youko watched her and knew that she coping with the fact that she was about to lose a close friend today. He wished he could take her pain away but sometimes one must make the difficult decision of knowing which friends to keep. Youko quickly finished dressing and headed back to his old home. His men were all still stumbling out of bed as he went around looking for Yomi or Kosuke. He had already informed Kosuke of what would be happening to Yomi and thankfully, the wolf demon was true to his nature and stayed loyal to Youko.

Yomi was sitting down to a light meal with a few other members, all whispering together and stealing small glances at Youko. Yomi had been spreading the word that Youko's new mate was making him soft, implying that he was no longer fit to lead. Yomi was mistaken. If nothing else, having Kiara made him more dangerous, after all, he now had someone to protect. Youko nodded to his men before taking a seat a few tables away. He pulled out the plans to the castle that Yomi would go to and started studying them. Youko watched Yomi out of the corner of his eye. Yomi was watching him carefully just as Kosuke took a seat in front of Youko.

"What do you have there, Youko?" Kosuke asked as he bit into the stake he was carrying.

"I'm looking over this castle that Kiara said is holding a great treasure," he said casually as he continued to look over the castle's plans.

"So is that to be our next raid?" Kosuke asked as he looked over the plans himself.

"No," Youko said as he flicked his eyes over to Yomi. Yomi smirked and took the bait. "She said that there was a decent size army guarding the castle. It's not worth the risk to the men."

Youko folded the map and threw them aside. He knew exactly what Yomi was going to do. Kosuke nodded and went back to his stake. "So what is the next mission?"

"I need your nose for a particular assignment. I want to get a certain necklace for Kiara. It's said to give off the smell of roses when you wear it," he said as he held back his grin. He was laying on the sappy fox routine pretty thick as he pushed away from the table. "You free?"

"Absolutely! Anything I can do to help the happy couple," Kosuke joked. In reality they were heading over to Kuronue's house to finalize the plans for Spirit World. Both Youko and Kosuke walked out of the room but not before Youko saw Yomi go for the plans. Yomi was predictable and gullible. Youko had no choice but to get rid of his wild card.

Youko and Kosuke left the hideout and headed towards Kuronue's. "Are you sure you want to do this, Youko? Yomi had been with us for so long," Kosuke asked.

"He's costing too many lives. He's a danger to us all and I won't stand for it any longer. It's time for him to go," Youko said as they approached Kuronue's.

"It's a shame but you're right. Our numbers have decreased since Yomi went renegade, just wish it didn't have to be this way," Kosuke said sadly.

"Now isn't the time to focus on that. We have a major raid that we need to prepare for. I need you focused," Youko told him as he turned and gave him a hard look.

"I understand, Youko," he said as they entered the house.

Kiara and Sienna looked up from where they had their heads together and smiled at Youko. Concern instantly filled Youko as he eyed them both. "Uh oh. I know that conspiring look. Don't start any trouble you two. At least wait until we're finished everything," Youko said as he walked over and placed a kiss on Kiara's cheek.

"We can do that," Kiara said as she winked at him. She looked around Youko and waved at Kosuke. "It's great to see you again, Kosuke and thanks for helping us out with this."

"My pleasure, my lady," he said as he bowed down to her.

"You bow to her but not me? Hey, I'm the best friend," Sienna said as she winked at him.

"My apologies, Lady Sienna," he said as he bowed to her.

"Suck up," Youko said as he walked over to the table. Kuronue was over there and looking over the locking mechanisms. "What we got?"

"A real pain in the ass. Kiara, why are we doing this again?" Kuronue asked.

"Don't complain. There's something in there that's very important and I need to get my hands on it. Besides, the toddler took it from me and I want it back," she said as she joined them.

"Well, were the hell are we going to get DNA from the royal family? King Enma is not going to happen and I'm pretty sure Koenma doesn't sleep," Kuronue said.

"Don't worry about that, Kuronue, that's my assignment and I know just where to look," Sienna told them as she joined the table.

"Where?" Youko asked.

"Remember what I asked you at the party?" Kaida asked him.

"The Spirit World princesses?" Youko said as he turned and gave her a hard look.

"Exactly, they'll be the easiest to access," she said as she gave him a questioning look.

"Which princess?"

Kiara starred at Youko. He was looking straight at her with a dead serious look in his eyes. She couldn't tell if he knew or was concerned with their safety. "The eldest. Her blood will be stronger and more recognizable in their system," she said carefully.

Youko clenched his fist. "There's no other way?" he asked as he looked away.

"No, we need that DNA. It shouldn't be difficult at all," Kiara said as she placed her hand on his, hoping to calm him.

"No. I'm sure it'll be very easy to acquire," Youko said as he went back to the plans. He took her hand in his and held it tightly, showing no intent on letting go.

"Youko? What's the matter?" Kuronue asked.

"Nothing. Let's move on," he said as he pointed at the two locks. "So these need to be opened at the exact same time. Kuronue, we need to be very careful on this."

"You'll need to time everything perfectly. If you're even a fraction of a second behind, it'll lock up good and tight," Kiara informed them.

The plans that lay on the table were a diagram of a vault door. There were three locks on it that were symmetrical and had a particular order. First was the keypad lock. They needed to put in two different codes at the same time. The codes changed at random times so they were going to have to put their skulls to the test to crack them. Next was a DNA scanner. The only registered DNA was Enma, Koenma, and Kaida's. Sienna was going to take a vile of blood when no one was around. Lastly, two keys that needed to be turned at the same time.

"So the only fun part is the code?" Kuronue asked.

"That's fun?" Sienna asked.

"Of course, it's not worth it if it's easy. So Kiara, you got a plan for cracking the codes?" Youko asked.

"I know what they are."

"How do you know that?" Kuronue asked.

"The codes are the birth years of every member of the royal family. The change at random all the time but the only clue I can give you is this, whatever the first code is decides the second. So for example, if the first code is Koenma's birth year then his youngest child's would be the second. If it's King Enma then Koenma's oldest daughter's birth year would be placed in the second one," Kiara explained.

"So we only have four to figure out? Shouldn't be too difficult," Kuronue said as he sat back in the chair.

"Actually it's more like 30,000 codes," Kiara corrected.

"30,000?! How can that be?"

"There are a lot of members of that family that no one knows about. Who else runs all the different realms? Limbo has at least 15,000 alone, punishing all those poor souls," Kiara explained.

"Lady Kiara, how do you know this?" Kosuke asked.

"Spirit World has a very extensive library with the history of the royal family. It took me awhile but I finally read it all and that's how learned about the locks," she explained. "But I'm afraid I won't be able to help you hack them. Perhaps if you guys tell me the first code, I can recall the second but that's risky. Don't worry though, the codes are mine to crack."

"You'll figure it out, Kiara. Don't worry about it. As for the keys, there's never been a lock that we can't open," Youko said as he eyed Kuronue.

"This is going to be a long raid," Kuronue groaned.

When the meeting had finished, Youko and Kiara walked towards her old hideout. The time had come for Kiara to send away Yoshi. Youko kept an arm close around Kiara as they walked through the forest. "You going to be ok?" he asked her.

"This has to be done so I will be," she said as she gave him a hard and unwavering look.

"I don't like seeing you this unhappy, especially around me," he said as he stopped her.

Kiara looked up into his concerned gold eyes. She couldn't believe how in such a short amount of time they had changed from cold to loving. "This will be over soon and we'll move on into much happier times," she said as she kissed him and walked into her old home. The time had come. For the first time ever, she was going to say good-bye to her friend.

Kiara walked through the halls and barely said hello to any of her females. Aside from asking where Yoshi was, she wasn't really interested in talking. She just wanted to do what she needed to do and get it over with. Kiara found Yoshi pacing on one of the balconies that faced Youko's lair. She was waiting for Yomi. "Yoshi?" Kiara asked.

Yoshi jumped, clearly startled by Kiara's presence. "Kiara? What is it?" she asked as she tried to regain her composure.

"There's something I need to inform you about," Kiara said as she closed the balcony doors.

Yoshi gave her a nervous look but kept her calm. "What is it?"

"Yomi came under attack. He took some men to the Castle of Pain but only one of them came back. It wasn't Yomi. I'm so sorry, Yoshi," she said as she watched the pain, anger, and sorrow well up in her eyes.

"NO!" she screamed and collapsed to the ground. Kiara was instantly at her side. Her arms wrapped tight around her, her tears falling into Yoshi's hair. Yoshi sobbed and screamed as she clung to Kiara's arm.

Kiara kept her hold on her, even as other gathered around the doors to see the commotion. Kiara just ignored them. She just held her friend one last time before she was going to lose her. "You should go to him, Yoshi," Kiara whispered into her ear. "Don't leave him out there alone."

Yoshi sobbed and sobbed, so certain that her life was now over. When Kiara whispered those words to Yoshi, she knew her friend understood. Yoshi stood up, with the help of Kiara. She looked at her friend one last time before running out of her home and into the forest. She had heard about the castle and knew where it was. She moved quickly, completely ignoring everything around her. She just had to get to Yomi no matter the cost.

Kiara watched Yoshi leave, her heart dark with sorrow. With a heavy sigh, she turned to Emiko. "Give the order, move out," she said as she went to help the girls find their way to the new location. It took some time but once they were all out of their home, Kiara did the only thing she had to; she reduced the hideout to nothing.

Youko watched from a distance as Yoshi ran off towards Yomi's body. It didn't take long for Kaida to evacuate the women and destroyed her home. She brought it back to the way it was before she built it and followed her girls to their new home. Youko waited a moment before heading to his old home. He too had to move quickly to dismantle his former home. He didn't like the idea of sneaking around like this but with Yomi dead and Kiara unable to kill her friend, that just left moving on. He had waited for Yomi to leave before telling his men to pack. He could only hope that they had finished.

When Youko had finally arrived, his men were all outside and ready. It seemed the loyal wolf demon had kept his fellow teammates busy and cleaned the place out. "Kosuke, you know the way to the new location?" he asked.

"Yes, Youko, I remember where it is. Shall I take them?" Kosuke asked as he shouldered his bag.

"Yes and be quick, I'll be right behind you," Youko said as he began tearing down his old home. Once Youko was finished, he made his way to the new lair. He found Kiara in the center of the courtyard, directing the demons to different locations. Kiara didn't waste any time and none of them questioned her. She barked an order and demons got to it.

Youko came and stood next to her. He could tell that she was grateful for the distraction. She had too much pain. "When you're ready, I need some help with the entrance plants," he told her as he kissed her cheek.

"Of course. Sienna! Kuronue! Take over," she called to the two bat demons as she walked over to the grove's entrance.

"You holding up?" he asked as they started growing a wall of plants.

"I'll be fine once the day is done. I just need to process things," she explained.

Youko understood what she meant and they made quick work of the plant wall before refocusing on finishing the move. Youko was busy directing the men to their side of the new home and getting them settled. He, at one point, looked over at his mate and watched as she handled some of the females. They seemed to be upset about something. Kiara did her best to calm them down and soon when back to helping the females move things around.

"It's like watching a mother with her children," Kuronue said as he came up beside him.

"I wouldn't call them her children but I get the analogy," Youko said as he went back to helping.

"Today must be hard for her. She going to be alright?" he asked.

"I hope so, she just keeps telling me that she needs to make it through the day and she'll be fine. To me, it feels like she's acting odd," he confided.

Kuronue gave him a concerned look before looking over at Kiara. Her forehead was creased as if she was concentrating on something. Her body was tense and not moving in the flowing motion that she normally did. "Let me talk to Sienna. Maybe she has a clue," he said as he walked over to his mate.

"Hello, love," she said as she sorted different items.

"Sienna, is Kiara ill or something?" he asked. "I mean, I know she's upset but did she hurt herself?"

Sienna spun around and gave him a hard look. "What do you mean by hurt? And she's not allowed to be upset. Bad things happen when she's upset," she told him.

"She's not allowed to be upset?" he asked confused before pointing over at Kiara. "She seems like she's struggling to just breathe and move. I mean, her concentration looks like it's in overdrive."

Sienna looked over at Kiara and in an instant dropped what she was doing and rushed over to her. Kuronue called out to Sienna but she just ignored him and pulled on Kiara's arm. Kiara glared at Sienna as she started speaking fast and quietly. Kuronue walked over to Youko and pointed at the females. From where they stood, it was difficult to see if Sienna was provoking Kiara or trying to talk her down, but either way Kiara was fighting her.

The clouds seemed to darken as the two suddenly went head to head. The rain came down hard and fast. The lightening was striking everywhere, filling the sky with violent light. The wind picked up, circling around them, demons fought against it just to remain on the ground. They clung to trees or tried to make their way to their new home for shelter. Youko and Kuronue couldn't believe how fast the storm came on. They rushed to get to their mates to make sure they found safety but all they saw was Sienna and three other females dragging an enraged Kiara into the woods.

"Where the hell did this storm come from and where are they going?" Kuronue shouted over the wind to Youko.

Youko never took his eyes off Kiara. Her eyes had suddenly come to life and were glowing a vibrant green. They were screaming even though Kiara was silent. Sienna and the other females struggled to get Kiara as far away from the hideout as they could but Kiara and the elements were fighting them every step of the way.

As Youko and Kuronue followed, the wind picked up faster. Its strength was ripping trees from their roots and sending them into the vortex that was growing above the forest. This wasn't nature. This was raw power and it was about to rip this forest apart. Debris flew in all directions, Youko and Kuronue had a hard time dodging the unpredictable attacks as they worked their way deeper into the forest. When they finally stumbled on the females, they had made it to the center of the forest and were now clinging to the trees. This was as far as they were able to get her before the tornado set down on top of Kiara. Except, Kiara wasn't just sitting there being flattened by the tunnel but instead floating still in the middle of the tornado, unaffected by everything around her.

"What the hell is going on here?" he screamed over the howling wind.

"This is Kiara upset. She can't control negative emotions well and when they happen she explodes with heavy weather power. Nothing we can really do except to wait for her to calm down," Sienna yelled back.

Kuronue was moving from tree to tree trying to get to Sienna but the closer and closer he got to her, the more powerful the wind was. Youko looked back over to his mate, starring in awe at the power she truly possessed. Kiara hovered quietly in the raging wind tunnel, her eyes glued to the sky as the world around her was being ripped up. It was then that Youko understood that this was all Kiara's inner turmoil. Deciding that he needed to bring Kiara back; Youko run into the storm and straight to Kiara.

The winds whipped around him and he had a hard time dodging debris, hail, and lightening. The defenses around Kiara were incredible. Youko could hear Sienna in the background calling to him to stop but he just ignored her. Youko fought hard to get to Kiara. Cuts and bruises marked his arms and faces the closer he got to the spinning vortex. He called out to Kiara but no answer. When he was finally close enough to Kiara there was only the wind between them. He called to her again.

"Kiara! Kiara! Lower the wind. Let me in!" he tried. For awhile there was no sound, except for the wind, but then he felt a slight decrease in the wind's power. It was at that point that he took his chance and jumped into the tornado.

When Youko landed, he was disturbed by the eerie calm in the eye of the tornado. Lightning flashed above but it was calm on the ground. When Youko reached Kiara, he placed his hands on her shoulders. Though she was still, her body felt as if it was vibrating.

"Kiara! Kiara! Snap out of it! Come back to me!" he shouted as he faced her to him. Her eyes were glassed over like she wasn't really in there. Youko shook her and screamed her name.

Kiara barely heard him over her own internal screams. This was the second time in her life that she lost control like this, but she couldn't bring herself back. Youko screamed her name over and over, trying everything to bring her back. Finally the only thing he could think of was to kiss her and kiss her hard. He ground his mouth against hers, tasting his blood and hers as he tried to bring her back to him. Time seemed to freeze around them as Youko tasted his first taste of her blood. It wasn't enough to mate them and bind them forever but it sent his body into overdrive. His body screamed for her, begged for her, and needed to make her his inside and out.

His body grew hot and tight as he slammed Kiara against his body, grinding his hips into her. At first, Kiara was unresponsive to him, forcing him to growl as he tried to entice her body to his. It didn't take long for the wind to increase its power nearly tenfold as Kiara clamped her arms around Youko, her mouth fighting for dominance.

This was raw unquestionable passion and it only came when two bodies were reunited. The story goes that in the beginning, everyone, demon and human alike, were made of one body and two heads and they were all in harmony then they were suddenly split in two and separated. Now, they spend their lives wandering the world searching for their other half and somehow, Youko was successful. Their hearts beat as one as they unleashed the raw lust that consumed them. Youko ripped at her shirt as Kiara tore at Youko's tunic. Skin was made free for the tasting. Kiara dug her nails into Youko as she dragged his body closer to hers.

The storm raged around them as they tore at their clothing. Their lips mashed together in a fiery passion that could not be quenched. Lightning flashed above them, like keeping time with the rhyme of their hearts. There was no stopping what had started. Neither one seemed to be concerned with their surroundings, just that they were consumed with each other. When the clothing lay in rags on the ground and Youko had successfully maneuvered Kiara under him, he poised himself to enter her and become one with her. His fangs grazed her neck, drawing a little be more blood to the tip of his tongue, fueling his lust more. His hand held her waist to keep her still as his other hand skimmed up the side of her face.

"Mine!" he growled as he prepared to lower himself and take Kiara as his mate.

Kiara lay there with her head throw back and to the side, offering herself to the demon that hovered above. No logical thought was in her head. There was nothing but the need to be with Youko, the raw desire and passion of it all. When she felt his hand skim up the side of her face, she didn't really pay it any attention until her masked moved. Youko's thumb had slid itself under the tie of her mask and moved it up just a bit. In a sudden panic, Kiara pushed herself out from underneath him and out of the tornado. In that instant, the weather disappeared, leaving nothing but the aftermath of a rather large clearing.

When the dust and leave finally settled, Youko was revealed kneeling in the middle of the clearing without a one single piece of clothing covering his body and unfortunately, he was standing very much at attention. Blood dripped down his back from the scratches that Kiara had left on him. His eyes were ablaze with hunger and some of Kiara's blood slid out of the corner of his mouth. Kuronue came to his side immediately and offered him the white cloth that hung around his waist.

"What the hell happened, Youko?" he asked as helped his friend stand. Youko didn't say anything as he looked in the direction of Kiara. She was in the tree just a few yards from him, hiding herself amongst the leaves. She was staring down at him. Her eyes still held the same hunger that they had while they were engaged in each other but there was something else as well, fear.

Sienna was at the bottom of the tree, trying to get Kiara to come down and put on Sienna's cloak, but Kiara didn't respond. She just kept her eyes on Youko. Youko had to shake his head to trying and regain his composure but was struggling. His body felt like it weighed tons as he tried to move closer to her. He made about a step and half before nearly crumbling to the ground. He couldn't believe how suddenly he was without any form of energy. Kuronue was at his side in an instant and lifted him up. "What happened to you two? Seriously man, you both look completely wild. It was freaking Sienna out big time," he said as he helped Youko towards Kiara.

"She's the one," he said as he placed his hand over his heart. "She's the other half of my soul. I finally found her."

Kuronue gave him a questionable look before he finally understood. "Holy shit!" he said. It was all he could say. He couldn't believe that finding the other half of your soul could have such explosive results.

When they finally reached the tree that Kiara was in, Youko leaned up against the bark and looked up at her. She had calmed down some but still she didn't come down. "Kuronue, take the cloak up to her and carry her back down," he said to his friend.

Kuronue hesitated at first but nodded as he flew up to her and quickly covered. When he went to scoop her up, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and waited until she touched the ground. Kiara was drained to the point that it was almost agony to lift just a finger and somehow, Youko knew. Not much was said between Youko and Kiara but Kuronue figured that they were saving that for when they were alone in their home. "Let's get you both back to your house. Sienna and I can finish with the move. We'll see you both tomorrow," he said as he handed Kiara over to Sienna and took Youko in his arms.

Everyone walked back in silence. Kuronue helped Youko walk as Sienna carried Kiara. Kiara was asleep on Sienna's back and barely even moved. Youko watched her carefully. This was the first time he'd ever seen her so weak. After what felt like a lifetime, they arrived at the foxes' home. Youko attempted to take Kiara but Kuronue stopped him.

"You're not strong enough yet," he said as he opened the door.

"Take us to the springs," Youko said as he leaned back on Kuronue. He wasn't going to argue.

Kuronue looked at Sienna before leading the way to the springs. The springs were held in the back of the house and were completely closed off. Steam welcomed Kuronue as he pushed himself into the room. Two chairs had been put aside for sunning but now held the two tired foxes.

"Do you need anything?" Sienna asked her friends.

"We'll be alright, Sienna. We'll see you both tomorrow," Youko said as he brushed aside some of Kiara's hair.

The two bat demons nodded and left. All that was left was the sounds of the springs. Youko pulled off the cloth that Kuronue gave him before undressing Kiara. It took some effort and a couple of tries but soon enough, he had maneuvered Kiara into the water. He rested her against a rock as he retrieved some plants. Once Youko had what he needed, he slowly eased himself into the water. The hot water burned his open wounds but he just ignored it. He pulled himself over to Kiara and mashed the plants together to make a paste. Once he was finished, he began massaging the plant paste into her shoulders and back.

Kiara felt the pressure around her neck and shoulders ease as the strong hands worked her exhausted muscles. The day's events, though, were not leaving her. Too much had happened in such a short amount of time that it was no wonder her body had temporarily given up. Losing Yoshi, Sienna picking a fight with her, and the unexplainable moments she had just shared with Youko. _Youko_. Thinking about him now made her body tingle. She couldn't explain why they suddenly lost control and turned into a raging hormonal animal. Daring a chance, she opened her eyes and realized that she was in their springs and a very naked Youko was kneading her shoulders. He was humming softly as he worked on her but she could hear the exhaustion in his voice.

"You sound exhausted," Kiara whispered.

Youko looked around her shoulder and saw her half open eyes. "Not as exhausted as you are," he said as he continued to work her shoulders.

"Such an explosion of power can really wear a girl out," she said as she chuckled.

"Yeah, about that, thanks for the heads up that you sometimes blow up," Youko said sarcastically.

Kiara chuckled as she turned around to face him. "By the way Youko, sometimes, when I have too many negative emotions my power tends to explode uncontrollably," she said as she laid her head on his chest.

"Now you tell me," he chuckled before lifting her chin up to look at her. "Are you alright?"

Kiara nodded softly. "I'll recover from the power blast in a day. As for out little episode, I'm still a little shaken up about that. What was that?" she asked.

"That was two souls reuniting. I mean, I only had a couple drops of your blood and I was completely out of control. I only heard about that when soul mates find each other. I don't know how you were able to pull away," he said as he held her close.

"When your thumb went under my mask. It shocked me enough to come back to my senses," she told him as she tapped her mask.

"You know I would never remove it," he told her.

"I know. Trust me; if I thought you would, I wouldn't be this close to you. I trust you, Youko," she said as she kissed him.

Youko wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close and kissed her back. His body came to life the moment he touched her, now it was screaming for her. "This is killing me, Kiara. I want you so badly," he said as he nuzzled her.

"I know but in a few more days we will both feel better. Just be a little more patient," she said as she gave him hopeful eyes.

"I told you I would wait until the day we are mated. It's just that what happened in the woods just made my need for you worse," he said as he held her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes struggling to stay awake as she rested her head against his chest.

"Go to sleep, my love. When I have a little more strength I'll put you to bed," he said as he nuzzled the top of her head.

Kiara gave a soft moan as she drifted to sleep. Youko was relieved. He had worried that he had scared her off, but she rested close to his chest completely relaxed. Youko rested his head back against the grass. Life had become so hectic of late, especially with his men. He could only hope that with the move completed and Yomi gone that his life would finally get on track and he knew exactly where to start. As he laid half in the water and half on the grass, his eyes began to drift close and his future began to unfold.

_He woke to a small house by a waterfall. Things looked strange as he looked around. This wasn't his home and it wasn't where he remembered being. As Youko continued to look around, a stranger feeling of familiarity filled him. He heard a door open and close somewhere in the house and footsteps moving fast. When he came to the stairs, a young girl with the most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen running down the stairs._

_"Dad, are you ready? We're going to be late," she said as she brushed past him. Behind her was a little boy who hadn't quite woken up yet._

_"Morning dad," he said as he dragged himself towards the kitchen._

_Youko stood there in pure confusion, until another person came down the stairs. She was absolutely beautiful and something very familiar about her. She had long brown hair and had the same green eyes that the little girl had but what caught Youko's attention was the lack of mask and the very swollen stomach._

_"You better hurry and take the twins to school, Kurama," she said as she kissed his cheek. "Dad said he has another mission for you and the detective."_

_Youko stared at the woman. This wasn't his life. He backed away from her, looking for a way out._

_"Kurama, what's wrong? You're acting strange," the woman said as she placed her hands on his shoulders._

_"My name…is Youko," he told her as he moved out of her reach._

_"You haven't gone by Youko in twenty years. You don't even look like your old self," she said as she faced him towards the mirror on the wall._

_The face that reflected back wasn't his. His silver hair was now a bright red and his gold eyes now green. He was shorter than and not as muscular as his other self. He turned back to the woman, his eyes wild and panicked. "Where's Kiara?" he asked her._

_"Kiara? Kiara is dead. She has been for about five years now," she told him even though she had a look of confusion on her face._

Youko came to gasping for air as he shot up in the water. Kiara slid out of his arms and into the water. Kiara came to the surface and looked around frantically. "Youko? What's wrong?" she asked as she swam into his arms.

Youko pulled her tight against his body. "I'm sorry. It was a nightmare. I'm alright," he said as he kissed her forehead. He lifted her out of the springs and wrapped her in a towel.

"Youko?" Kiara asked again as he carried her to their room.

Youko didn't answer as he laid her down in their bed and pulled her close to him. Kiara didn't know what was going on but she didn't the only thing she could do and that was to comfort him. The night passed with Youko holding Kiara close and not saying a word. Kiara just stroked his arm and did her best to ease whatever was bothering him. A couple times she tried to press about what had disturbed him but he would just kiss her forehead and pull her closer.

The next day, Youko acted like nothing had happened as he and Kuronue worked together on opening the two key locks at the same time. Kiara sat next to Sienna sipping tea. Sienna was watching Kiara very carefully. "Everything ok between you two?" she asked.

"I don't know. He had a nightmare last night and wouldn't talk to me about it. It really shook him up. I really don't know what to do," she said as she turned away from the boys.

"I'm sure he'll talk to you about it soon enough," Sienna said as she turned her back to the boys as well. "So when do you want to do it?"

"Might as well get it done now while they're distracted," Kaida said as she got up from the table.

The movement caught Youko's eye as he turned towards her. "What are you two up to?" he asked as he tried to keep his expression light and happy but his eyes showed his worry.

"Sienna has something she wants to show me upstairs. We shouldn't be long," Kiara said as she went over and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry."

Youko watched her carefully but nodded. There was something wrong and Youko was acting strange. "I'll see you soon then," he said as he turned back to what he and Kuronue were working on. Even as Kiara turned to walk away, she could feel Youko's eyes on her.

As Kiara and Sienna disappeared upstairs, Youko turned back to the diagram of the locks. Kuronue looked up from their work and gave Youko a questioning look. "What's the deal, Youko? You're acting strange around her," he said as he took a break from the lock pick that they were designing on.

"Kuronue, what would you do if you knew that Sienna was going to die?" Youko said in a dark voice.

Kuronue sat right up and looked at Youko. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked, his voice going cold. "Why would you ever ask me something like that?"

"While I Kiara was resting, I fell asleep and the dream I had was like nothing I've ever had. I was going by the name Kurama but I didn't look like myself. I was in a house I didn't recognize and there were children, a boy and a girl. Then there was a woman, she looked familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it. She was pregnant and treated me like I was her mate but she wasn't my Kiara. When I questioned her, she told me that Kiara had been dead for five years. I came to after that," Youko confided.

"It was just dream, my friend. You two are about to be mated. It's just cold feet. Or maybe it could be what Katsuo said making you nervous. Besides, I think Kiara is too stubborn to let her life go so easily. You have nothing to worry about, Youko," Kuronue said as he tried to ease his friend.

"I know you're right but I can't shake this feeling that something bad is on the horizon. I almost want to tell her to stay here while we go to Spirit World but she'd probably feed me to our plants," he said as he chuckled.

"True, but if you continue to smother her or keep a distance as you've been doing, you'll push her away from you and you will lose her," Kuronue warned.

"I know and it's taking everything within me to not be the alpha fox and to order her around," he said before turning to the sounds of the girls' laughter.

"So you still haven't told him yet?"

"Nope, I'm going to wait until afterward. I think it'll be a nice surprise."

"Or scare the hell out of him."

Youko and Kuronue looked at each other in confusion. "Which one do you think has a secret?" Kuronue asked. "My bet is Kiara."

"Why my mate?" Youko asked.

"She already has a secret otherwise she wouldn't wear the mask," Kuronue teased.

"Shut up, Kuronue," Youko laughed as the girls made it back into their room.

"We're back!" Sienna sang. Sienna instantly went over to Kuronue and took he seat. Kiara, however, decided to go into the kitchen for a drink.

Youko watched the bat demons for a moment before following Kiara. She was sitting on top of the counter sipping a glass of juice, looking over a book that she had carried down with her. "Reading anything good?" he asked her as he moved next to her and kissed her forehead.

"Just a furniture design book that Sienna is letting me borrow, I've got some ideas I want to make," she said as she bookmarked a page.

Youko nodded before closing her book and making her look up at him. When Kiara gave him a confused look, he just took her hands. "Kiara, I'm sorry I've been acting weird. It's just the nightmare really got to me, Kuronue thinks that I'm letting my father get to me or that I have cold feet. He's probably right but I wanted you to know that there's nothing to worry about," he confided.

"I knew something was wrong but I figured you'd let me know when you were ready," she said as she squeezed his hand.

Youko nodded before kissing her. Kiara kissed him back before resting her forehead against his. "So which one of you has the secret?" he asked with a slight chuckle.

Kiara chuckled as she shook her head. "I can't tell you that, it would ruin the surprise," she said as she winked at him.

"Ok, what surprise do you have in store for me?" he asked.

Kiara shook her head as she hopped down from the counter. Her landing wasn't as steady as it should have been but Youko quickly caught her. Kiara smiled up at him and laughed. "Guess I haven't gotten all my strength back. Anyway, you'll find out after the mating ceremony," she told him as she walked back into the living room. Kuronue and Sienna were all curled up and flirting. Kiara just chuckled as she sat opposite of them. "So how goes the lock picking?"

"Why did you give us the hard job?" Kuronue whined.

"There has to be some way to pick the locks at the same time," Youko said as he pulled their plans towards Kiara. "Is there anything you can think of?"

"Practice?" she said with a shrug.

Both Youko and Kuronue stared at Kiara. Clearly that wasn't the answer they were looking for to hear. "Are you freaking kidding me?" Kuronue shouted as he stood up.

"You wanted an idea, this was mine. Sorry it's not a better one." she said as she shrugged but still held a smile on her face.

Kuronue grumbled under his breath as he went back to looking over the plans. Youko chuckled as he looked over the list of code combinations that Kiara had in front of her. "So, what's your plan to crack these?" he asked as he wrapped his arm around her.

Kiara leaned into his arm and looked at the list of code combinations. "Each code is attached to a certain time that is relevant to the person it is referencing. For example, this date here is the birth year of Koenma and at this time his youngest daughter was born, which is the second code. So all I have to do is look at the two codes and find the time that links them," Kiara said with a big smile.

Youko gave her a questionable look but shook his head. "Would you like help?" he asked.

"Nope, I think I have this figured out," she said as she started writing down times starting with the earlier dates and working her way back. Youko nodded as he went back to help Kuronue.

This is how the next couple of days went before their raid. Youko and Kuronue practiced lock picking in perfect synchronization while Kiara compiled a scroll of all the possible code combinations and their times. Sienna even helped out when Kiara was close to bashing her head against the wall. On the day of the raid, the six demons arrived at the portal to Spirit World. It allowed them to bypass the Kekkai Barrier. Kiara made sure her mask was on good and tight. She couldn't take any chances on this raid that she could be recognized. She sent a glance at Sienna and nodded. "We ready?" she asked everyone. When they nodded, they didn't hesitate and jumped through the portal. The portal dropped them in front of the Gateway of Decision.

"We're here. I know this place very well so follow me closely and remember no bloodshed. We don't want to start a war," she said as she started walking around the wall.

Youko stayed close to Kiara, his nightmare still keeping hold of him. He wasn't going to let her out of his sight. He had studied the diagram that Kiara had draw for them of Spirit World and knew that she was taking them to the secret entrance hidden off to the side. Apparently, this entrance was meant as an escape route for the royal family, in case of an attack. When they arrived, Kiara made quick work of the secret lock and in no time, had the door open.

They moved quickly and quietly through the palace. Both Koenma and King Enma were actively working and the entire location would busy with running ogres. They made quick work of any ogres that they came across and made sure to hide those they knocked out. The particular vault that they were looking for was down the hall from Koenma's office which meant Kiara was going to see HIM. Sounds of gentle thudding echoed down the hall indicated that Koenma was busy stamping away. Kiara indicated for silence as she maneuvered down the hall. As she approached the door that Koenma was behind, she couldn't stop herself from peaking in to see her father.

Koenma was in his toddler form and was quietly stamping a large stack of papers. After a few moments, he stopped and looked up at his screen. "Botan!" he called as the bubbly grim reaper appeared. Kiara quickly stopped the group and indicated for complete silence.

"Smart and sassy girl here to make your day!" she sang.

"Any word?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry; sir, but Genkai turned me away. Not even Nakita will see me now. Genkai said that Kaida is out in the Dark Forest undergoing a survival test she said Kaida won't be back for awhile," Botan informed him.

Koenma sighed. "Nakita is probably listening to Kaida," he said sadly before shaking his head and then turned towards the screen. "Ayame!"

"Koenma, sir?" Ayame asked as she appeared behind Koenma.

"What's the update on the spirit foxes?" he asked as a picture of Kiara and Youko appeared on the screen.

"We seem to have lost them, sir. We had a fairly good idea of the locations of their hideouts but when we went to investigate, there was nothing there. And as for the unexplainable weather, all we found was the clearing where it took place. As for their recent activity, we are in the dark. They haven't performed any robberies and we believe they have gone underground," she informed.

"Planning something big?" he asked.

"We don't have any evidence leading to that," she said as she looked down at her notes.

"Alright, Ayame, you're dismissed," he said as she bowed down to him and disappeared. "Botan, please keep trying to see the girls for me."

"Yes, sir," she said as she too disappeared.

Kaida waited until she heard the sound of Koenma stamping before she continued down the hall. Youko placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a concerned look. Kaida was confused for a second but she just smiled and approached the door. "Let's get to it. Emiko, Kosuke, keep an eye out for any ogres. We shouldn't have any issues with the SDF but just be careful. Alright, I'll go first."

Emiko and Kosuke nodded and took their position at the end of the hall. Kiara took out a watch and examined the time and pulled out her scroll. She had to move quickly to get the right time with the right date. The time was 21:23. Something about that time clicked as she jumped all the way to the bottom of the scroll and the answer was revealed. Kaida quickly plugged in both codes at the same time and moved out of the way for Sienna.

Sienna pulled out a vial full of Kiara's blood and poured it into the funnel that presented itself after Kiara finished the codes. After Sienna moved out of the way, two key locks were revealed. Youko approached the one on the left but Kuronue stared at Sienna. "When did you get the princess's DNA?" he asked.

"When you were sleeping. I snuck into Living World and found her in the forest. While she was out, I just took the vial and came straight home. It was pretty easy," she said as she winked at Kiara.

Kiara shook her head but it was Youko who did the chiding. "We don't have time for this," he said as he put his lock pick in the keyhole. Kuronue nodded as he followed suit. "We do this together."

Kuronue and Youko counted off together as they worked each part of the lock. Sienna and Kiara helped keep the wolf demons keep watch, not wanting to distract their mates as they worked slowly to open the lock. A couple of times, Youko warned Kuronue that he was either moving too fast or too slow. After what felt like eternity, the two finally turn the last part of the lock and door swung open. Kiara turned and ran towards Youko.

"Have fun?" she asked as she walked into the vault. Lights flooded the room as soon as she walked in and mountains of treasure glimmered in the light.

Youko followed her in and shook his head. "Never again, Kiara. Let's get what you need and lock this thing up," he said as he kissed her forehead.

Kiara chuckled as Sienna and Kuronue came in. "Wow! This is amazing," Sienna said as her fingers grazed over the golden jewelry.

"Take what you want. There's nothing in here that has any powers. It's all just has high value. So please, take it," she said, more to Sienna then to anyone else. She on the other worked her way through the piles of treasure to another door at the end of the vault. The royal family believed that no one could open the vault door so this door was left unguarded. When she opened the door, all her suspicions were confirmed. Koenma had moved all of her mother's possessions into storage.

Kiara pulled out a bag and started putting certain items in it. One of them was a small handmade fox that her mother made for her as a small child. She didn't have a chance to take it with her when she was kicked out. She placed it in her bag and kept looking for one particular item. She could hear Kuronue and Sienna talking happily as they gathered their treasured. Youko came up behind her and tapped her shoulder. "Everything ok in here?" he asked as he brushed aside her tears.

Kiara was surprised to find that she had been crying. It wasn't intentional but being around her mother's things and remembering the times she had spent with her had been too much. "Yeah. I'm just having trouble finding my item," she said as she continued to search through things.

After a few moments, she found a box in the very back of the room, a box that she made. Without hesitation, she picked it up and opened it. Inside was a bracelet, a charm bracelet. Kiara's mother got the bracelet from her father the day she was born and at every event, she added a new charm but Kiara's favorite charm was the one she made; the one that said her mother's name.

Youko came up behind her and looked down at the bracelet. "Is this it?" he asked.

"Yes, this belonged to my mother. Koenma stole this from me a long time ago," she said as she placed it in her bag and turned to face him. "I miss her."

"We'll make a shrine to her in our house and honor her every day," he said as he pulled her into his arms. "But we need to go now. We've stayed too long."

Kiara nodded as she followed him out of the room and towards Sienna and Kuronue. The two had filled their bags and were waiting at the entrance of the vault. "Let's get out of here," Kuronue said as he kept looking around. "I've got a bad itch, Youko."

Youko turned his attention to Kuronue and nodded. "We're moving out. Kiara, lead the way," he said as he sealed the vault door up.

Kiara nodded as she maneuvered through the halls but their good fortune didn't last when the alarms started going off. Kiara stopped at the first sound of the alarms and turned around. Koenma stood behind them. He had sent an ogre to sound the alarm. Kiara glared at him before taking off at a full run. The others kept up with her as she moved through the secret passages and out of the palace. They made quick work to the portal to Demon World even as the SDF started chasing after them. Once they were back in Demon World, Kiara turned back to the portal.

"Kia, what are you doing?" Sienna asked as team stopped.

"Can't have the SDF following us home," Kiara said as she kicked started her wind powers. Tornados sprung up all around her as the hurricane she was building started to get really rolling just as the first members of the SDF arrived.

Kiara smiled at them as they piled through the portal into Demon World. She kept her smile even after she waved and caught up to Youko. Youko wrapped an arm around his mate as they both looked back at the struggling SDF. One of the SDF managed to stop fighting long enough to give Kiara and Youko a glare promising them death. Kiara just waved him off and went with Youko back to their home.

When they arrived back, Sienna and Kuronue were sorting through the treasure. They were working with the two wolf demons in making the splits even. Kiara watched and laughed as her friends joked around. Youko stayed by her side, his arm tight around her waist. "I think this was a very successful raid, love," he said as he nuzzled the top of her head.

"The bats seem to think so," she said as she looked at her mother's bracelet. "It's good to have this back."

"Something so simple yet perfect. I'm glad we got it back," he said just before he gave her a mischievous smile.

"What?" she asked.

"So… can we have our mating ceremony now?" he asked.

"Youko!" she laughed as she swatted his arm. Kiara shook her head and chuckled again. "So impatient. Give me two days and we can."

"Two days?" he whined.

"You want my present, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes," he said, defeated.

"Then two days is all I need," she promised before giving him a soft peck on the lips then turning to join Sienna.

Youko watched his vixen as she walked over to their friends and smiled. In two days she'd be all his. Their family would begin and he could finally maker her his.

**We have one more chapter left of Love and Secrets! How will it end? Anyone? Anyone? BEFORE THE SUMMER ENDS, LOVE AND SECRETS WILL HAVE ITS FINALE! BRACE YOURSELF! Please rate and review! Thanks to all those fans who have stuck by for every chapter that has taken forever to be posted. I am working on the editing the sequel so they should be posted faster than Love and Secrets! Thanks again to all you dedicated readers! You have made it worth writing this story! See you soon!**


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